Puzzled
by drjamband
Summary: This is the sequel to Riddled. Four years after their son is born, Booth and Brennan balance work, family, and everything in between. Please R&R!
1. Surprise!

**1-Surprise!**

"Here he comes, here he comes," Angela whispered into the walkie talkie. "Jack?" she said into the device when she heard no response.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" he replied. "Because I didn't think you were finished. Over." He winked at four-year-old James, who was standing next to Hodgins and trying to stifle a giggle.

Angela sighed and rolled her eyes. "He's walking through the parking lot, _over_," she emphasized.

"OK, everyone, places!" Hodgins commanded from the platform. Hodgins took James and crouched so they were hidden by the platform's staircase. Angela slipped into a closet. Cam took her place behind a few strategically placed potted plants. Moments later Booth walked through the doors and looked around. No one. No one on the platform, no one on the catwalk, no one anywhere. Something was surely amiss. He noticed Brennan's door was ajar and jogged to her office. She was tapping away on her computer, the picture of focus.

"Hey, Bones,"

"Oh, hello, Booth," she said, smiling and standing up. Reaching him, she tugged his lapels and kissed him. "Happy Birthday," she breathed when they broke apart.

"Thanks," he said as she straightened his tie. "Uh, where is everyone?" he asked.

"Out to lunch, I suppose," she answered, gathering her things.

"James too?"

She nodded. "Angela and Hodgins took him for a milkshake."

It was Booth's turn to nod. "I was hoping we could have a birthday lunch, but it's always nice to have some alone time," Booth said in a sultry tone, leaning in to kiss her.

Brennan momentarily gave in to the feeling of his soft lips demanding that she keep kissing him, but pulled back all too quickly for Booth's liking. "Come on, Booth, we have to go to lunch," she said while he pouted.

"I could skip it," he said suggestively.

"Since when can you skip a meal? Besides, I know you hate it when I don't eat," she countered.

He laughed and put his hand on her back. "That's true, Bones. You know, I was thinking we could-."

"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted as he opened the door.

Booth didn't jump but Brennan could tell he was surprised. "Aw, thanks, everyone," he said, smiling and taking his son from Hodgins' arms. He shook hands with Hodgins and hugged Angela and Cam.

"Happy Birthday, Daddy," James said, wrapping his little arms around Booth's neck.

"Thanks, buddy," Booth said, kissing his son on the head. "Now, you gonna tell me who planned all this?" James smiled and shook his head. "Oh, sworn to secrecy I see. Well, I guess I'll just have to employ my _special interrogation techniques_."

"Oh no!" James said as Booth put him down on the floor and proceeded to tickle him. "It was Aunt Angela!" he provided breathlessly. Booth let him up and the boy ran to Angela.

"Aunt Angela, I told on you! Are you mad?"

Angela laughed and patted him on the head. "No, sweetheart, I'm not mad." She crouched down. "I thought you were very brave." James smiled and took Angela's hand in his. They were all ready to head out to lunch when Booth's phone rang.

"Booth," he answered. "OK. Yes, sir. I'm there right now. We're on our way." He snapped the phone shut. "Case in Alexandria, Bones." He looked sympathetically at the others. "We'll call you guys."

"Mommy and Daddy go out?" James asked, fisting Brennan's pant leg. She crouched down and he put both hands on her cheeks.

"Mommy and Daddy have to go get some bones, but we'll be back."

James nodded and kissed Brennan. "OK, bye. I love you," he said.

"I love you too, baby."

"Bye, Daddy. Make sure you keep Mommy safe." James had inevitably picked up the protective nature of the Booth men.

"I will," Booth said, winking. "I love you, pal."

"I love you too." Booth again put his hand on Brennan's back as he guided her out of the office.

"Come on, Sweet Baby James," Angela said, holding out her hand. "You want a milkshake?"

"Yeah!" he replied as they made their way to Angela's office. "Can I bring a coloring book?"

"Of course. Cam, you wanna join?"

"Thanks but I promised Michelle we'd go to lunch. She had a half day and they don't give them lunch at the school on half days."

Angela nodded. "Tell her we said hi."

"Will do!" Cam called as she made her way towards the doors.


	2. The Coins in Their Eyes Represent

**2-The Coins in Their Eyes Represent the Money They Owe**

After the short drive to Alexandria, Booth questioned the local authorities at the crime scene while Brennan examined the bones. The body was mired in mud, the bones almost invisible underneath all the muck and grime. "Whaddaya got, uh, Bones?" Booth asked as he examined his shoe, newly covered in thick, brown mud.

"Female, approximately 25 years old. Two cracked ribs and three broken fingers. Definitely a struggle, Booth. She was murdered."

Booth gave a short nod. "Hey, let's get this shipped to the Jeffersonian!" he called out.

"Aunt Angela, can you help me with this picture? It's really big."

"Well, let's see, did you eat at least half your hot dog?" she asked, glancing at his plate and noticing that it was empty. "Good job, little man, you ate the whole thing," she praised.

James grabbed the orange crayon to color in a tiger cub. "No I didn't," he said innocently.

Angela furrowed her brow and looked up at Hodgins, whose cheeks were bulging with the hot dog's remnants. "What?" he asked.

James looked up. "Uncle Jack, you shouldn't talk with your mouth full."

Hodgins stifled a laugh. "You're right, little man. My bad." Angela smirked and pulled James into her lap. They were coloring quietly when Hodgins' phone rang. "Hodgins."

"Wait, Booth, look at this," Brennan said, pointing. Booth waved off the FBI techs and crouched down.

"Are those…_coins_?" he asked, squinting at the rusted circles of metal.

"Yes. Though I would have thought we would find coins in her pockets, not on her eyes."

"Bones, coins on the eyes is a classic sign of money owed. You know it actually originated in Greece."

"No, I didn't," she said, smiling at Booth's enthusiasm over knowing something she didn't know.

"Yeah, when people died, they put coins in their mouths or on their eyes so they could pay the guy who took them across the river Styx."

Brennan smiled wider. "Charon," she provided.

"Yeah," Booth said, and they were consumed with staring in each other's eyes for a moment.

"Um, Dr. Brennan?" one of young techs asked nervously. Brennan's gaze shot to him. "Um, are you ready for us to ship the body back to the Jeffersonian?"

Brennan nodded and snapped off her gloves. "Yes, thank you." The tech practically ran away before he could piss her off. "I'll call Hodgins."

"Hey, Dr. B. Coins? Awesome. I'm on my way." He snapped the phone shut. "It's on its way," he told Angela, careful not to use the word "body" in front of James. He put some bills on the table and they were off.


	3. The Dodecagon Coins

**3-The Dodecagon Coins**

"Honey, can you play in Aunt Angela's office for a while?" Brennan asked her son, who was sitting on the couch in his mother's office swinging his legs.

He nodded. "Where's Elliott?" he asked.

"Here you go, baby," Brennan responded, taking the worn stuffed elephant out of a drawer and handing it to him. "Be careful."

"OK, Mommy," he agreed as he zoomed off to Angela's office.

"Have you found anything on the coins, Hodgins?" Brennan asked.

"Yeah. I wasn't expecting much, but look at this." He pointed to the results of a soil sample on the screen.

"High salinity," Brennan noticed. "But that could be from anywhere, Hodgins."

"Oh no, not these," he replied, getting the grin he did when he found something exciting that only he understood. "This is from the Arabian Sea."

"So India, Iran, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Somalia, or Yemen," Brennan provided.

Hodgins sighed. "Way to burst my bubble, Dr. B."

"I'm not sure what that means, but you seem disappointed. Maybe you could take the coins to Angela and see if she can enhance an image."

Hodgins nodded. "I'll get right on it." He quickly sent the file from his computer and went to Angela's office. "Hey, Ange, I just e-mailed you a picture of the coins, can you enhance it? We need to know what country they're from."

"Sure, just give me a minute." She brought them up on the large screen and began to enhance them.

"Little man, you wanna see something cool?" Hodgins asked.

The boy dropped the elephant and ran over to Hodgins. "What are you doing, Aunt Angela?" he asked.

"I'm making this picture easier to see, sweetheart." James gazed up in wonder. "Well, they're definitely foreign," Angela confirmed.

"Can you tell what country they're from?" Hodgins asked.

"Not yet. Give me a few more minutes."

"India!" James said happily.

"You think so, pal?" Hodgins asked.

James nodded enthusiastically and pointed. "Those have twelve sides. Mommy showed me some from when she went to India. I have them in my room." The image enhanced more and, sure enough, the right side read "INDIA RUPEES."

"He's right," Angela said. "I'll get this printed."

"Right on, little man," Hodgins said as they high-fived. "Let's go tell your mom."

"Mommy, Mommy!" James said as loud as he could without yelling and walking as fast as he could without running.

"What is it, baby?" she asked, smiling when she saw her son's smile, so much like Booth's.

"The coins are from India!"

"He figured it out, you know," Hodgins added.

"He did?"

Hodgins nodded. "Ange was enhancing the image and he said the coins had twelve sides. He was right."

Brennan beamed at her little boy. "I'm very proud of you, baby." She hugged him and kissed him on the head. "I'll call Booth," she said, looking at Hodgins.

"Tell him the sketch is finished!" Angela called from her office.

"Nice hat, Ange!" Hodgins called. Angela reached up and pulled Elliott off of her head, much to James' delight.

"Angela, Dr. Hodgins, could we not yell across the platform?"

"Sorry," they both mumbled.

"Booth, hi, Angela's done the sketch," Brennan said into the phone. "OK, see you soon."

"Is Daddy coming now?" James asked Angela.

"Yep, your Daddy and I are going to find out this girl's name."

James' eyes widened. "How you gonna do that?" he asked.

"Well, we try to match this picture to a list of people in a big file on the computer."

James nodded. "She's pretty."

"Yeah," Angela said sadly, "she is."


	4. Reminds Me of Someone…

**4-Reminds Me of Someone…**

Booth and the team stood looking at the sketch. "Wasn't she beautiful?" Angela asked. Everyone nodded.

"Excellent work, Angela," Brennan commended. "Did you get a hit?"

"Yeah, 25-year-old Jahan Desai, originally from Mumbai. She'd been living in the States for three weeks when she was reported missing by her father, Darshan," replied Booth. "He wanted to give his statement at the Hoover so Charlie's bringing him in now. Bones? You wanna come?"

"Yes, let me get my things. Hodgins, have Wendell keep looking for cause of death." Hodgins nodded and bounded off the platform in front of Booth and Brennan.

"He looks quite distraught," Brennan said to Sweets as they watched Booth interrogate Mr. Desai.

Sweets nodded. "He reminds me of Agent Booth, the way he's acting right now."

Brennan glanced at the young psychologist before resuming her watch on the questioning. "What do you mean?"

"The way he's sitting very forward in his chair, his elbows braced on the table. He gesticulates, but not frequently, and runs his hand through his hair quite often."

"I agree; Booth acts similarly when he's agitated." Sweets pushed the button and they listened to the ongoing conversation.

"I tell you, Agent Booth, I know who did this. It was that rat, Jishnu!" Mr. Desai said frantically, spitting in disgust when he was finished.

"And who is Jishnu, Mr. Desai?"

"My daughter's fiancé."

"What makes you think he would kill her?" Booth asked gently.

"Jishnu's family very rich. My family rich as well until my wife died. Her brother took much of our money."

"I'm going to need her brother's name and where he lives, if you would," Booth told him.

Mr. Desai nodded. "His name is Sanjiv Chopra. He lives in New Dehli, probably screwing a bunch of whores in his penthouse apartment," he said with a mix of anger and sadness.

"Has he ever been to the United States?" Booth asked.

"No, he has not. But Sanjiv has very little to do with my story. You should know, Agent Booth, that Jahan and Jishnu were engaged to be married when they were both fifteen. Both families were very excited. But the next year Jahan's mother died and we became poor. Jishnu and his family were no longer happy with the arrangement, and they refused to speak to us. I told Jahan to let it go, but she would not. She was...so stubborn," he related, shaking his head and laughing.

Booth smiled and gave a quick glance at the mirror that said, "I know someone like that too." Brennan smiled even though Booth couldn't see her. "When was the last time your daughter heard from Jishnu?" Booth asked.

"I do not know. Just last month Jishnu moved here to work for an environmental company. As soon as Jahan found out about the move, she took off to follow him. I told her I would follow her. After all, she could not support herself, and I had nothing left for me in India. A few days ago she said she was going out and that she would be back. I never heard from her again."

Booth nodded. "Just one more thing, Mr. Desai: How did you afford the trip here and the house you live in if you were poor?"

Mr. Desai laughed good-naturedly. "We were poor by our caste system's standards. We have more than enough to get us by here, but social structures are a tricky thing, Agent Booth. After my wife died, we were no longer good enough."


	5. It Could Have Easily Been Titled

**so..rated M ;)

* * *

****5-"It Could Have Easily Been Titled 'Ferrari Snow Day.'"**

Booth sighed and walked into the room on the other side of the mirror. "He didn't do it," he remarked.

"I don't believe he did either," Sweets said.

"He did seem quite exasperated," Brennan added.

Booth sighed again. "I'm gonna go back to the Hoover and check out this Jishnu guy. Have you heard anything, Bones?"

"No, nothing new."

"Sweets?"

"I can have a profile in an hour, two max."

Booth nodded. "Thanks." They said their goodbyes and Booth moved to the door with Brennan following. Silently, she stuck out her hand, and Booth took it as they moved through the door. Sweets smiled to himself and walked back to his office.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," Booth said as he flopped down on Brennan's couch hours later. "I mean, you wouldn't think it'd be hard to find a guy named Jishnu."

"Well, we don't have _nothing_," Brennan said as she organized papers on her desk.

Booth cocked an eyebrow. "Cause of death?"

She nodded once. "She was hit repeatedly in the back of the head with something flat."

Booth smiled and pulled her onto his lap. "You're the best, Bones."

"So I've been told," she replied as their lips came together in a caressing kiss.

"Mmm your lips are so soft," Booth breathed. A knock interrupted them and they both sighed.

"Come in," Brennan called as she moved to sit next to Booth.

"Mommy! Daddy!" James called as he went flying through the room to sit on Brennan's lap. "Look what I colored." He held up some pictures torn from a coloring book for his parents to see.

"Those are great, pal," Booth said enthusiastically.

"Hey, Booth, can I talk to you for a second?" Hodgins asked. Booth hadn't even seen him at the door. "So, you guys are going out to dinner with Parker?" he asked once they were by the platform.

"Yeah," Booth confirmed, "why?"

"Well, afterwards, why don't you drop the boys off at our house and they can stay over? You and Dr. B can, you know...have yourselves a little birthday lovin'."

"Hodgins, you don't have to-."

But Hodgins cut him off. "Booth, it's your birthday. Besides, I'm a guy. Trust me, you want this."

Booth nodded after a moment. "OK, um, thanks...I guess."

Hodgins grinned and slapped Booth on the back. "No problem, dude."

Hodgins went off to find Angela while Booth went back to Brennan's office. "Hey, pal, how would you like to stay at Aunt Angela's and Uncle Jack's tonight with Parker?" Booth asked his son.

James smiled wide and nodded so enthusiastically Booth feared the boy's neck would snap. "Sleepover! Can I bring Elliott? Can we have pizza? Can I wear my Spiderman pajamas?" The boy's voice was getting louder with each question as his excitement rose.

"It's OK with me if it's OK with your mom."

James looked to Brennan. "Of course you can, baby, just remember to be good."

"Yay!" he shouted as he ran to tell Angela and Hodgins the good news.

"Sleeping at Hodgins'?" Brennan asked as Booth kissed her neck.

"Mmhmm. Hodgins suggested it. So you and I can get some birthday lovin'," he explained in between open-mouthed kisses.

"Well, good thing Hodgins is looking out for our sex life," Brennan responded as she ran her fingers through Booth's hair. "Booth, we have to get going," she moaned. "Unless you want our son to walk in on you giving me a hickey."

Booth smiled a big smile. Even though it had been four years since they first got together, sometimes he still couldn't believe how lucky he was. In that moment, he felt incredibly happy when Brennan said "our son." He was sharing his life with the woman he loved most in the world, and he couldn't be happier. "I love you so much, Bones," he whispered.

"I love you too, Booth," she whispered back, tugging him down by his lapels for another kiss.

They picked up Parker and headed to the diner for a family dinner. Booth and Brennan let the boys play with their food more than usual, and the diner staff brought out a small cake with candles and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to Booth. Parker and James scarfed down their pieces of chocolate cake happily, and Brennan played with Booth's long fingers under the table. "They're going to be very hyper," Brennan whispered to Booth before kissing him on the cheek.

"Not our problem," Booth mumbled back with a smirk. Brennan laughed and rested her head on Booth's shoulder.

After dropping the boys off at Hodgins', Booth and Brennan drove home. "Thanks for tonight, Bones," Booth said as they sat on the couch together.

"You say that like it's over," she responded.

"Oh, believe me, I know it isn't." Booth smiled and pulled Brennan onto his lap. Both were excited about the fact that they could make love anywhere in the apartment and be as loud as they wanted to be when they did it. Both had their shirts off in no time and Brennan was rasping her tongue over Booth's nipples. "Jesus, Bones," Booth breathed as he arched his hips up.

Brennan smirked and unzipped Booth's pants slowly, causing him to whimper. She gasped when she felt how aroused he was, and Booth grabbed her hand and shoved it down his pants. She got the idea and immediately started stroking. "Oh, Bones," Booth moaned loudly, causing Brennan to stroke faster. She stopped long enough to pull his pants and boxers down, and Booth thought he was going to die when she did. However, she quickly resumed what she was doing and Booth's head rolled from side to side on the top of the couch. "Bones, God, don't stop."

"Whatever you want," Brennan whispered seductively before biting Booth's earlobe. He almost lost it right there, but he managed to take a deep, shaky breath and hold it together. He was relentlessly thrusting his hips into her hand and he couldn't help clenching his eyes shut and reopening them in a tortuous pattern as he felt his orgasm approaching.

"Oh, God, Bones, I'm gonna come," he moaned loudly. She stroked him even harder and faster until he came in her hand, saying her name over and over. His head back, Booth panted and tried to catch his breath as Brennan cleaned her hands. When she returned, Booth pulled her to his side and kissed the top of her head. "That was amazing, Bones," he said, nuzzling into her hair. "But now it's _my_ turn to make _you_ scream." He pulled off the rest of their clothes and carried her to the bedroom, her legs wrapped around his waist the whole way.


	6. The Bedtime Story

**6-The Bedtime Story**

Hodgins and Parker were playing videogames on the giant TV in the living room while Angela showed James how to draw Mickey Mouse. "Beat you again, Dr. Jack!" Parker said happily as he celebrated his water skiing victory on the Wii.

"Hey, I was never the athletic one. But who do you come to when you wanna see rare maggots?"

"Only you, Dr. Jack," Parker said as they high-fived.

"Parker, does your father know that Hodgins shows you rare maggots?"

Parker thought. "Probably not," he said, and they laughed.

James yawned. "Come on, baby James, time for bed," Angela said. She walked him to the room they kept for him and helped him put on his pajamas. "Ooh, Spiderman," Angela said as she slipped the shirt over James' head.

"He's my favorite, even though Daddy's is the Green Lantern."

"Green Lantern?" Angela asked, wrinkling her nose. "Well, just between you and me, I like Spiderman better." James giggled and nodded his head to indicate he wouldn't tell Booth.

After brushing his teeth he ran back out to the living room to say goodnight to the boys. "Goodnight, Uncle Jack," he said, leaning up to wrap his arms around Hodgins' neck as Hodgins knelt down.

"Goodnight, little man. Sleep well."

"Goodnight, Park. I love you."

Parker smiled and picked his brother up, giving him a tight hug and a kiss. "Goodnight, baby brother. I love you too."

James gave Parker a kiss and ran back to grab Angela's hand. "Aunt Angela, can you tell me a story?" he asked once he was under the covers.

"Sure, baby. Why don't I tell you about your mom and dad?"

"What about them?" James asked as he yawned and fought to keep his eyes all the way open.

"Well, like how they were when they first met."

James nodded. "OK."

"Well, the first time I met your daddy I thought he was very handsome; so did your mom. But your mom, well…your mom is stubborn. They liked each other, but then they had a fight, and they didn't see each other for a year."

"A whole _year_?" James asked, astonished.

"Yep, but fate brought them back together." James smiled. "Your dad had a case that no one could crack, so your mom agreed to help him, even though they were both still mad at each other."

"_Still_?" James asked.

"Yep. Your parents are pretty stubborn people, but that's part of what they respect about each other. So your mom and dad solved the case and that was that. They just became partners and did everything together. At first they still didn't know whether to trust each other, but your dad saved your mom's life twice, and she saved his once."

"Like superheroes?" James asked excitedly.

Angela smiled. "Yeah, something like that. Over the years, your mom and dad got to be best friends. They trusted each other with everything. Now, your daddy had known for a long time that he loved your mommy, and somewhere inside she knew she loved him, but she didn't want to admit it."

"Why not?" the little boy asked incredulously.

Angela exhaled through her nose. "Your mom is a very independent woman. She likes to do things for herself, and she thought that if she admitted that she loved your dad, that it would make her seem dependent, and she didn't want that." She doubted the boy fully understood, but that was the best she could explain it without getting into too much personal detail. "But eventually your mom looked at the evidence and realized how much your dad loved her, and they talked, and they finally, _finally_," she added with an eye roll, "told each other how they felt. And they knew they wanted to have a baby, so they had you."

"How did they know they wanted to have a baby?"

"Well, when you love someone, you want to share that love. A baby is…a symbol of that love, someone that two people can share. And let me tell you your parents love you and your brother more than anyone or anything in this world."

"Will you and Uncle Jack have a baby so you can love it more than anything in the world?" James asked innocently.

Angela smiled. "Someday, sweetheart. Now to go to sleep." She kissed his head.

"Goodnight, Aunt Angela."

"Goodnight, baby."


	7. A Bit of a Sticky Wicket

**7-A Bit of a Sticky Wicket**

Parker and James talked the whole way to school about their night away. They ate pizza, played video games, colored, and watched a movie. "Aunt Angela told me a story," James declared excitedly.

"Oh yeah?" Booth asked. "What about?"

"You."

"Me?"

"You and Mommy. And how you met. Did you ever hear that story, Park?" James asked his big brother.

"I was around for some of it," Parker assured him. Booth and Brennan laughed as Parker helped James out of the car and they walked to the school together.

"So, Angela, a story about us?" Booth asked as he and Brennan walked into her office together.

"So, Booth, how many times did you have sex last night?"

"Geez, Ange!" Booth exclaimed, while giving Brennan a smile and a quick glance that said "I know exactly how many times you screamed my name last night and it was unbelievably hot."

"That's what you get for asking personal questions, Studly."

"Asking if you told our son a specific bedtime story is not the same as asking about our…."

"Sex life," Brennan provided. Booth gestured his agreement.

"Fine," Angela acquiesced. "Don't blame me for being curious. If you really want to know what I said, ask your son."

"I…have to get back to the Hoover. See you later, Bones," Booth relented.

"So, Bren, how many times _did_ you do the deed?" Angela asked once Booth was gone.

"Angela, really."

"OK, give me this: can you count it on one hand?"

"Just," Brennan murmured.

"Oh my God!" Angela said in a stage-whisper. "_Five_?"

"Ange, I have to get back to work," Brennan said, trying to hide her blush.

"Sure, sweetie. See ya." She rushed outside to catch Booth, who was just walking away from Hodgins. "Booth!" she called. He spun around. "Just so you know, I think your son inherited Bren's bluntness. He asked if Hodgins and I were going to have a baby."

"WHAT?" Hodgins yelled.

"Oh, Lord," Booth said, smacking his hand over his eyes.

"Bones, I finally found Jishnu's address," Booth said as he hopped up the platform. Brennan looked up from the bones she was examining with Wendell. "Do you want to go now?" Booth asked.

Brennan nodded. "Mr. Bray, call me if you need anything."

"OK, Dr. Brennan."

"Hey Bones," Booth said as they got in the car. "The address is 10 Broad Branch Road. Try saying that five times fast."

"Why would I do that?" she asked.

Booth laughed. "Never mind." He could hear Brennan whispering the address under her breath.

"Oh! It's a tongue twister! It is rather tricky."

"Woah," Booth said as he pulled up next to the house. "This place must be worth over a million dollars! He wasn't kidding when he said they were rich."

"Booth, there are plenty of people who could afford houses this big, even bigger. Like us."

"Yeah, you. Not me."

"Booth, I consider our money mutual. I know we don't really do it that way, except for James, but I don't consider that money just mine."

"Really?" She nodded. "Well you can use the money I make any time you want. Not that you need it," he said playfully. He knocked on the door and was just about to knock again when an older woman, dressed in a white sari, answered the door.

"Hello," she said, smiling and nodding at the partners.

"Hello, Mrs..." Booth quickly glanced at his note cards, "Jayasurya." She nodded again. "I'm FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth, this here is my partner Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian. Would you mind if we asked you a few questions?"

She led them into the house. "This _is_ a very nice house," Brennan whispered.

"Which is what I said outside. Can we focus on her, please?"

"I was just making an observation."

"You two such _handsome_ couple. Just like my Jishnu and his wife could have been," Mrs. Jayasurya said, placing a tray holding three glasses of Ribina on the table.

"What happened to Jishnu's wife, Mrs. Jayasurya?" Booth asked.

She sighed. "Jishnu never married. You see, he was engaged, but the girl...she was no good for him anymore."

Booth wanted to make sure Mrs. Jayasurya's and Mr. Desai's stories lined up. "Why not?" he asked.

Mrs. Jayasurya shook her head. "Girl's family became poor after her mother die. Jishnu and I move here. He got a job, and I am old now. I need someone to take care of me."

"Mrs. Jayasurya, we found Jahan's body."

"_Hai Baghwaan_," she muttered. "You know it is her? I mean, she is not ashes yet?"

Booth furrowed his brow. "No," he said, confused.

"In India it is typical for people to be cremated," Brennan explained to him.

"Oh. Well, no, Mrs. Jayasurya. Jahan was murdered."

"_Hai Baghwaan_!" she moaned, throwing her head back and making her way over to the corner of the room to pray.

"What's that mean?" Booth whispered.

"It's oh my God in Hindi. Unfortunately, I learned that the hard way."

Booth's face scrunched up. "Gross."

"It's not gross, it's perfectly natural."

"I'm just saying I wouldn't wanna hear anyone..._doing it_."

Brennan scoffed. "You don't think the people in neighboring apartments heard us the other night?" Images of "the other night" streamed through Booth's mind and he choked on his own saliva.

Suddenly Brennan's phone rang, and she moved into the hallway. "Brennan."

"Dr. Brennan, it's Wendell. I think I know what caused the fatal blow to the victim's head." He took a breath. "A cricket bat."

"Well done, Mr. Bray. I'll tell Booth." She hung up and saw Booth talking to a crying Mrs. Jayasurya in the hallway. She stood in the entranceway to the room and scanned until she found it: an open closet. She walked over and began rummaging inside.

"What are you doing in there?" Mrs. Jayasurya asked.

"Booth?" Brennan called.

"Yeah, Bones?"

"Wendell said the weapon used was a cricket bat." She pointed at the cricket bat leaning against the wall.

Booth took out his phone. "I'll call Caroline."


	8. Taking Care of Business

**thank you to everyone who added/reviewed! hope you continued to enjoy!

* * *

**

8-Taking Care of Business

"Definitely blood," Brennan said as she examined the bat.

"Oh, how could Jishnu do this?" Mrs. Jayasurya wailed.

"Mrs. Jayasurya, where is your son?" Booth asked shortly.

"He has been away in India on business."

"Hey, can we have someone confirm that?" Booth called.

"On it!" called an FBI tech.

"How long has he been away?"

"Two weeks," Mrs. Jayasurya sniffled. "I cannot believe he would do this."

"Why do you think he did it?" Booth asked.

She shook her head. "That is Jishnu's bat. And he...he was so angry at not being able to marry Jahan. He was always walking around, slamming doors and hitting things. If he couldn't have Jahan, no one could."

Booth nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Jayasurya. Hey, anyone get anything on this guy's whereabouts?" he called out.

"He's flying back to Dulles today. Plane lands in an hour."

Booth nodded once. "OK. Bones!" he called, jogging over to her as she snapped her gloves off. "Jishnu's flight lands in an hour, I'm gonna get him at the airport."

"And by get him you mean have him held at the airport until you come to pick him up, at which point you arrest him and bring him in for interrogation?" Brennan asked as she smirked.

Booth had a smirk of his own. "Oh no. I only issue those requests for _very special_ people."

"Save it, Booth, that was kidnapping," Brennan responded playfully. "Can you drop me off at the lab?"

"Oh, so _now_ you wanna get in the car."

* * *

"Booth, the blood on the bat matches that of our victim," Brennan said into the phone while Jishnu waited in the interrogation room, looking sullen.

"Thanks, Bones. Hopefully I can get this guy's DNA and you can compare it." They hung up and Booth walked into the room. "So, Mr. Jayasurya, I'm not going to ask you why you think you're here, because I bet you already know. Besides, I don't like to waste time." Booth was practically snarling. "Tell me about Jahan."

Jishnu sighed heavily. "Jahan was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," he remarked, looking straight at Booth for the first time. "We knew each other all our lives. I loved her from the beginning. Luckily our families arranged for us to be married, because I didn't think I could ever work up the nerve to ask her myself," Jishnu laughed.

"Then why do we think you killed her?" Booth asked.

"Jahan is dead?" Booth gave an almost imperceptible nod. Jishnu sighed. "I figured as much."

"Why?"

"The police still hadn't found one clue after a week. I was so distraught. I went away, making the police promise to call when they had something. Two weeks I was gone. They didn't call. I'm assuming you found her body?" Booth nodded. "Does her father know?"

"We've told him."

Jishnu sighed in relief. "That's good."

"Ask if his mother was fond of Jahan," Sweets finally spoke through the microphone.

"Your mother was fond of Jahan?" Booth obeyed.

"No, no, Agent Booth. Mother liked her until Jahan's mother died. After that, she wouldn't speak to her."

"We should bring her in," Sweets said.

"I know that, Sweets. Who's the agent here?" Booth mumbled as he passed Jishnu a tissue. "OK, Mr. Jayasurya, you can go. No more business trips until we clear this up."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Jishnu responded, standing. Booth collected the glass Jishnu drank out of so he could get the fingerprints for the team.


	9. The Good Mother

**thank you to everyone who's added this story, and also to those who have gone back and read _Riddled_. I really appreciate it, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

* * *

**

9-The Good Mother

"What is this all about?" Mrs. Jayasurya asked in the interrogation room.

"You know what this is about," Booth said. He and Brennan sat across the table from her as she averted her eyes.

"You can't prove anything!" she shouted.

Brennan raised her eyebrow and slid the DNA results across the table. "It's a match," she said simply.

"Well obviously my DNA is on there," Mrs. Jayasurya said, trying to defend herself. "I'm always picking up after my son, he's such a slob."

"Mrs. Jayasurya?" Booth interrupted. "Just…we know you did it." She started crying. "Jahan's father couldn't pay the dowry, could he? Jishnu didn't care, but you did."

"You were already rich, you didn't need it," Brennan remarked.

"You were just honoring tradition, right?" Booth asked. "Yeah, I understand. What I don't understand is how you thought killing Jahan would solve everything."

"They couldn't pay. Jishnu would leave me then I would die poor. What would they think in India?"

"I'd think your son's opinion would be more important than society's," Brennan said.

"I couldn't let him go through with it. I was only being a good mother."

"Sejal Jayasurya, you are under arrest for the murder of Jahan Desai. You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney…." Booth's voice drifted off as he led her away.

* * *

"Jishnu had bags of sand he was bringing with him to India on his business trip. Didn't notice that one bag was missing," Booth said as they stood in the Hoover.

"That's why the crime scene was extremely muddy. And the coins were on her eyes because of the dowry."

"Yep." He shifted and clicked his pen.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Booth huffed. "I still don't know why the husband just didn't make up for the fact that the family couldn't pay. I mean, get over your pride."

Brennan scoffed. "One: look who's talking, and two: she didn't have a husband."

Booth raised an eyebrow and slapped his index cards on his open palm. "She didn't?"

"No. She's worn white every time we've seen her."

"So…she's an angel," Booth said.

"She's a widow."

"Oh."

"Can't remarry. Husband had all the money."

"Don't start, Bones."

"I'm just saying," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Yeah, yeah, we're all alpha males."

"Well," Brennan said. "Not _all_ of you." She gave him a smoldering look that made his gut clench.

A throat cleared and their attention shot to Jishnu standing in from of them. "I just wanted to thank you for your help."

Booth nodded. "We're sorry about your loss. And your mother."

Jishnu sighed. "It's true I'm disappointed, but…she was a jealous woman. I loved Jahan very much and…and now she has justice." He thanked them again and walked away.

* * *

"I wonder what he'll do," Brennan said as they drove home that night.

Booth glanced over at his partner then back to the road. "He'll move on. He has a job, a house."

Brennan sighed. "It's just…sad. His mom deceived and abandoned him." She looked back at James asleep in his car seat.

"Bones," Booth breathed. "Look at me." She raised her eyes to his. "You will _never_ abandon him. You know that. You're…" he laughed, "Bones, you're incapable of leaving him." She nodded, teary-eyed. "You are a wonderful mother. You'll never disappoint him." He kissed her and they got out of the car.

Brennan unbuckled James' seatbelt and carried him towards the building. James' slightly open mouth closed over Brennan's shirt and he shifted in her arms. Arriving at their apartment, Brennan laid James down on the bed and gently changed him into his pajamas. She tucked him in and watched him sleep until she heard Booth get out of the shower. "Goodnight, sweetheart," she whispered, stroking his hair away from his forehead. "I'll always be here."

She walked across the hall and slid into bed next to Booth, who wrapped her in his embrace and held her close. "I'm proud of you, Bones," he told her.

"For what?" she asked, looking him in the eye.

"Everything."


	10. Down With the Sickness

**thank you again to everyone!

* * *

**

10-Down With the Sickness

"Mommy?"

Brennan rolled over and saw her son standing by the bed. "Hmm? What is it, honey? Did you have a bad dream?"

James shook his head. "My tummy hurts," he said.

Brennan carefully moved Booth's arm from her waist and walked with James to his room. He wiped his nose on his sleeve repeatedly and she handed him a tissue. "Open," she said before sticking the thermometer under his tongue. She stroked his hair while she waited for the thermometer to beep. "100," she said when it was done.

"Mommy can I have a drink please?" he asked.

Brennan nodded and had just gotten off the bed when Booth entered the room, shirtless and rubbing his eyes. "What's goin' on, Bones?" he asked.

"Daddy aren't you cold?" James asked innocently.

Booth grinned. "I'm fine, bud. What's up?"

"I have a tummy ache," James provided.

"His temperature is 100. I'm getting him some Gatorade."

"I'll get it, Bones. Just relax." He kissed her and James before he went to the fridge.

Brennan laid next to her son and rubbed his stomach. "Do you want to come to the lab with Mommy and Daddy tomorrow?" she asked.

"I want to go to school."

Brennan smiled. He reminded her of herself, always willing and eager to learn. "Would it help if I brought a book?" she asked him.

"I want to look at bones," he said. Brennan was surprised, but she knew she had model bones in her office he could amuse himself with.

"Here you go, pal," Booth said, handing the glass of red Gatorade to his son, who drank it thirstily. James smacked his lips and closed his eyes, and Booth smiled at Brennan. "Do you want to sleep in the big bed with Mommy and Daddy?"

James smiled and nodded sleepily. Booth picked him up and walked him to the doorway. Brennan gave him a teasing look that said "You know he can walk himself," to which his look responded "You know I love picking him up." It was true that Booth did love hugs; after all, he'd been hugging her all these years.

"OK, pal, good night," Booth told his son.

"Good night, baby," Brennan said softly.

James coughed into his sleeve and laid back. "Good night."

Booth reached his foot over and touched Brennan's leg. "Good night, Booth," she said with a smile.

"Good night, Bones."


	11. Los Cuerpos

**thank you again to everyone!

* * *

**

11-Los Cuerpos

The next morning James woke up with a rash on his cheek. "Baby did you scratch yourself last night?" Brennan asked. James shook his head. "Booth, look," she said. "Show Daddy your cheek," she told James.

"Is that a rash?" Booth asked. Brennan nodded. "Jesus, it looks like he got slapped in the face."

"Booth, language."

"Sorry. Does it itch, pal?" James shook his head again.

"I think he has fifth disease," Brennan told him.

"What're the first four?"

"Booth, there aren't-oh," she realized and smiled. "It's also called slapped-cheek disease. He's not contagious; he'll just have a rash for a week. He's coming to the lab with me."

"OK," Booth breathed. "How about some pork roll, buddy?" Booth asked. It was James' and Booth's comfort food when they were sick.

"Yes please," James said with a big smile. Booth kissed them both and headed out to the kitchen.

"What do you want to wear today?" Brennan asked.

"Flyers shirt!" James shouted gleefully. Brennan dressed him and sent him out to Booth while she took a shower. They then switched places and headed off to the lab.

"I'll call you," Booth said as they got out. "You sure he's OK?" he asked Brennan.

They looked at their son, who was playing with some loose rocks in the parking lot. "He'll be fine," she reassured him.

Booth nodded. "OK. Bye, Bones. I love you."

"Bye, Booth. I love you too."

Brennan led her son to her office and opened a drawer before handing him a model hip and some other fake bones. She typed away for hours as James napped intermittently. It was almost lunch time when Cam walked into her office. "Um, Dr. Brennan?" Brennan looked up. "Your son is eating a bone," she told her, pointing to James, who was sitting on the couch with the model hip partly in his mouth.

"Oh!" she said. "James, baby, why are you eating that?"

"It looked like marshmallow, but it's hard."

"Baby that's not food," Brennan laughed, taking the hip and wiping his saliva off it. "You shouldn't eat these, OK?" James nodded. "You're just like your dad."

"Daddy come soon?"

"Soon, sweetheart." Brennan focused her attention on Cam. "Did you need something, Dr. Saroyan?"

"Just the files from the Indian case."

Brennan handed them over just as her cell rang. She and Cam exchanged smiles before she answered. "Brennan."

"Bones, you ready for lunch?"

"Yes, and I'd say your son is too. He was trying to eat a model hip."

Booth laughed. "Oh, God. Well, listen, can you ask Angela and Hodgins to take him to eat? We need to talk."

"Is something wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"No, I just need to ask you something."

"OK, sure. Diner?"

"I'm on my way."

* * *

"Bones, I've been asked to go on an assignment that doesn't involve identification." He paused. "They think they know who did it and they know how, but there's been a lot of government cover-up, and they think someone from the outside can get some clues."

"Someone from the outside?" Brennan asked.

Booth sighed. "Yeah. The case is in Colombia."

"Colombia? Booth-."

"Bones, I know it's dangerous. I really am apprehensive about this."

"Did Director Cullen ask you about this?"

"No, the National Police of Colombia did. I didn't tell Cullen yet." Just then Booth's cellphone rang. "Booth. Oh. Yes, sir, I was. Well, just after lunch. Just before lunch. Yes, I did. No, I wasn't. Yes, sir, twenty minutes. Goodbye, sir." He hung up and looked at Brennan. "Yeah, they called Cullen. He was mad."

"Why? You were going to tell him."

"Apparently not fast enough. He wants me in his office in twenty minutes."

* * *

"Apparently, you have a national reputation," Cullen said.

"Yeah, well, me and Bones have been international," Booth said, shifting in his chair uncomfortably.

"Agent Booth, do you think this is a game?"

"No, sir," he answered hesitantly.

"Do you think it's wise for you to go such a dangerous country?"

"Well, I-."

"_Do_ you?" Cullen repeated. "I know it's your instinct to help people, Booth, but this….We can't sanction this, Booth. You have no official jurisdiction. You simply cannot do this." Booth nodded. "I'm sorry, Booth. I hope this isn't too much of a disappointment."

"Nah," Booth said, smiling as he stood up. "Besides, I'm not particularly fond of being away from my family."

Cullen smiled and shook Booth's hand. "Nor am I, son."

* * *

Booth stepped into Brennan's office quietly. "What did he say?" she asked, knowing he was there.

Booth sighed. "He said I couldn't legally take it. It's for the best." She looked at him. "I'm not disappointed. I wouldn't wanna leave you guys." Brennan smiled and hugged him.

"Daddy!" James shouted as he entered the office.

"Buddy! How are you feeling?" Booth asked as he picked his son up.

"Good!" James answered enthusiastically.

Booth's phone rang and he transferred James to one arm while he answered his phone with the other hand. "Booth." James was humming in his other ear and Booth put him down. "Go clean up your stuff, pal," Booth said as he moved the phone away from his mouth. "Are you sure, sir?" he asked as Brennan and James played with James' stuffed elephant. "Yes, sir. No, we'll leave him with Angela and Hodgins. I'll tell Bones. Goodbye, sir."

* * *

He waited until they were settled in bed before broaching the subject with Brennan. "Cullen called. They found another body in Colombia. They can't identify this one. They've asked for our help."

"When do we leave?"


	12. Vamos

**thank you again for all the reviews/adds! it really means a lot to me. i hope you all continue to enjoy the story, and as always, don't hesitate to tell me what you think!

* * *

**

12-Vamos

"Ange, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure, sweetie." Angela joined her friend on her spacious office couch. "You look really worried, Bren. What's going on?"

Brennan took a deep breath and focused on Angela. "Booth and I have been asked to go to Colombia."

"For what?" Angela asked.

Brennan sighed. "They've found a body they can't identify. They say there's some government cover-up going on, I don't know. I just know that if we accept, we leave in two days, and we can't possibly take James."

"Oh, sweetie, don't worry about that; Jack and I would be happy to have him."

"Really? Thank you, Angela."

"Of course, sweetie! You know I love your son to pieces." They both smiled. "Is this...dangerous?"

"They have the highest murder rate in the world, and if this _is_ a government cover-up, I would say it is somewhat dangerous."

"Look, Bren, I know you and that sex on legs agent of yours love danger and excitement and helping people and all that, but did you ever think of just one of you going?"

Brennan nodded. "Originally, there was an identified body, and Booth was asked to help with the investigation, but Cullen couldn't sanction it since it wasn't an FBI request. Then they found this body, and Cullen asked us to help."

"And I know you want to," Angela started. "But can't you just have a videocam or something? Bren, the thought of both of you going to one of the most dangerous countries on Earth...What about James?"

"Don't you think I haven't thought of that?" Brennan said a little louder and more harshly than she intended to. "I'm sorry, Ange," she said softly. "I know this is dangerous, but Booth and I have been in danger before. Our instincts on helping people haven't changed. What kind of role models would we be if we just left these people because we were too scared to help? I know...I know what the consequences can be, but it's not stopping me or Booth."

Angela nodded in understanding. "OK, sweetie. I'll tell Jack. When do you want to bring him over?"

"The flight is at seven am on Friday, so I'll bring him some time before that." Angela nodded once and left.

* * *

"So what did Angela say?" Booth asked as they sat at the diner.

"She said they'd be happy to take him."

Booth noticed she seemed worried. "What's wrong, Bones?" he asked softly.

"Angela was very adamant in reminding me of the dangers of this trip. She wanted only one of us to go so that one of us could stay with James."

"I thought she said she'd be happy to take him," Booth said before he bit into another fry.

"She did, but she seems to think we won't come back." Booth felt his heart skip a beat, but didn't panic. "I told her that our instincts hadn't changed," Brennan continued, meeting his eyes. "What kind of role models would we be to him if we just gave up because it was scary?"

Booth smiled and kissed her palm. "You're right. We knew the risks when we decided to have a child," he continued, "and we assumed those risks. That doesn't mean I like to be away from him, but we're sure as hell not taking him." Brennan nodded. "I'll call Cullen then."

* * *

The morning of their flight, Booth loaded their suitcases into the trunk of his SUV while Brennan packed James' bag. It was about 3:30 am when she lifted him carefully out of bed. He didn't stir as she walked him downstairs into the chilly morning air and strapped him in his car seat. "He's really out," Booth remarked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Brennan nodded. "I think it's better."

"Me too." They had told him they were going away to get some bones and would be back really soon. He nodded sadly, but perked up when he was told he was staying with Uncle Jack and Aunt Angela.

Softly, they knocked on Hodgins' door and were let in to settle James on the guest bed. "Thanks again, guys," Booth said as they stood over the little boy.

"No problem, dude," Jack answered. "Just be safe." Booth nodded and they shook hands. The rest of them hugged, and Booth and Brennan placed one more kiss on their little boy's head and said one more "I love you" before heading out.

* * *

Angela was sketching when James padded over to the couch. "Mommy and Daddy leave?" he asked.

Angela looked up, not sure which emotion to show. "Yes, they left very early," she told him. James nodded, looking a little bit upset. "Do you want some chocolate milk, baby James?" she asked, and the boy nodded happily.

* * *

Booth and Brennan landed fatigued but anxious to be briefed after the nine-hour flight to Bogota. A few police officers met them at baggage claim and led them to a waiting cab, in which they were escorted to a sprawling home on the outskirts of the city. An officer rang the doorbell for them, and a man in his mid-forties answered. "Bienvenidos," he said. "I am Mr. Garrido, head of the National Police of Colombia. You must be Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth." They shook hands and we were welcomed into the house and led to a large seating area. "Siéntense, por favor," he requested, and Booth followed Brennan's lead and sat. "Thank you so much for coming. The situation is this: a body was found in the planetarium at the Parque de la Independencia. One of the maintenance men found it Tuesday morning as he was preparing to open for the week."

"Tuesday?" Booth asked.

"Sí," Mr. Garrido replied, "it is closed on Mondays." Booth nodded. "Here is the case file," he said, handing them both a manila folder with papers in them, "and the body will be ready tomorrow." Brennan was too tired to demand access to the body at that moment, so she nodded and walked with Booth to a waiting cab, which took them to their hotel.

They entered the room with the intention of getting settled, but were so tired that they were quickly consumed by sleep.


	13. I Miss You

**sorry i've been really busy with school lately. please enjoy and review! thank you!

* * *

**

13-I Miss You

Angela heard her computer's video chat ring and almost knocked over Hodgins on her way to her office. "Sweetie?" she asked immediately.

"Angela, hi."

"Are you guys OK? What's it like there?"

"Hot," Brennan said, wiping her forehead. "But we're fine. I wanted to tell you that I just sent you a picture of the skull."

"OK, I'll check my e-mail." A few clicks later and it was printing. "Got it, thanks. What's the preliminary info?" she asked.

Brennan took a breath. "Female, fifteen to twenty years of age, no apparent trauma to the bones. I'm sending some samples to Hodgins." Angela said that she'd let him know. "How's James?" Brennan asked.

Angela sensed her worry. "He's fine, Bren, don't worry. He was a little upset last night; nothing that a little chocolate milk couldn't fix." Angela grinned and Brennan gave a relieved smile back.

"Bones?"

"Over here, Booth."

"Hey, Booth," Angela called.

"Oh, hey, Ange," he said back. "Listen, I just finished questioning the guy who found her. He said he was digging for some new mall and there she was." The girls nodded. "I'm gonna question the guy who approved the construction tomorrow." Booth took off his jacket. "How you guys doin', Ange? How's James?"

"Fine, all fine," Angela assured him. "In fact, here he is now."

"Aunt Angela!" James yelled, coming into the office. "Uncle Jack said to ask you-." He cut himself off seeing Angela with the laptop open and sounds coming from it. "Someone there?" he asked.

"Sit here, honey. I'm going to go talk to Uncle Jack."

James climbed on Angela's seat and saw Brennan on the screen. "Mommy!" he shouted, slapping his tiny palms on the desk.

"Hi, baby," she said, tears pricking her eyes. "Did you have a good night with Aunt Angela and Uncle Jack?"

James nodded. "Aunt Angela gave me chocolate milk, and we watched Toy Story." His face fell a little. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, honey." Tears began to stem from the little boy's eyes. "Don't cry, honey. Mommy and Daddy will be home very soon."

Booth emerged from the bathroom after a shower and walked to the computer. "Hey, buddy," he said to James.

"Daddy!" James wailed.

"Don't cry, pal," Booth told him softly. "Can you listen for a second, pal?" The boy wiped his tears and nodded, still sniffling and hiccupping. "I need you to be a big boy, OK? It's OK to miss Mommy and Daddy; we miss you too. We miss you very much."

"I miss you!" James cried.

"Shh," Booth soothed. "Calm down, buddy. I need you to do something for me. Can you do me a favor?" James' eyes brightened a little and he nodded, wiping his eyes again. "I need you to keep the squints in order, OK? If they look sad you gotta give them a hug, alright?"

"OK," James answered softly.

"And you need to make sure Aunt Angela and Uncle Jack and Aunt Cam work hard. And make sure Aunt Angela and Uncle Jack are tucked in before they go to bed." James nodded. "I'm very proud of you, buddy." James hiccupped.

Booth and Brennan glanced at each other, each seeing how tired the other was. "Mommy and Daddy have to go now, OK?" Brennan finally said.

James paused before he nodded. "OK."

"We'll talk to you tomorrow," she added.

"Remember to take care of everyone at the lab, bud," Booth reminded his son gently.

"OK, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too, pal."

Brennan felt tears under her eyelids again. "I love you, James. Be good."

"Bye, Mommy! I love you."

The slowly closed the screen on their son's smiling face.

Angela returned and found James red-faced and still in her seat. She silently went to her seat and kissed him on the forehead.


	14. Salir

**14-Salir**

"Hello, Angela," Brennan said into the screen.

"I have the identity, Bren," Angela responded. "Her name was María Gonzalez, and she was a fifteen-year-old student."

"Thanks, Ange. I'll let Booth know." She was about to ask for James when her phone rang. "I'll call you later," she told her friend. "Brennan," she answered.

"Doctor Brennan, it is Mister Garrido," the man they met yesterday said breathlessly into the phone.

"Yes, of course. It's something wrong?"

"You and your husband must leave as soon as possible."

"He's not my-," she started, then realized it wasn't important. "Leave the hotel?" she asked.

"No! You must leave the country!"

"What? Why? What's going on?" she asked.

"I cannot explain. Please, your lives depend on it. You must go now."

"But we-," Booth started.

"I have arranged for you to fly out in three hours. Please, if you want to live you will go."

Booth and Brennan exchanged a glance, silently communicating. They saw each other's pain in leaving the case unsolved, but they knew they had to go. They had to get home to their family. "OK," Brennan breathed, "we'll go." Booth wrote the flight information down on a notecard and started packing their bags.

* * *

They arrived at the airport an hour later and started through security. Brennan hated to leave the case unsolved, but knew it was better to get back home than to risk her life on a foreign case. She knew the situation in Colombia was bad, and without an army to protect them, she couldn't take the chance.

Brennan had made it through security and was waiting for Booth when he set off the alarms. "Oh, it's my gun. I'm an FBI agent," Booth explained, showing the guards both his gun and his badge.

"Sorry, señor, but you'll have to give us the gun just until you go through the detector." Booth glanced at Brennan and reluctantly put the gun in the basket before crossing through the detector. He was reaching his hand into the basket when the guard grabbed the gun and held it to Booth's head. Brennan ran to him but she was quickly handcuffed to a chair. "Come with us," the guard told him.

"Booth!" Brennan screamed.

The guard trained Booth's gun on her. "Bones, please," Booth begged. "You'll find me. I know you will."


	15. All I Know

**hey guys. ok im giving you three chs bc i feel so bad about not updating. life is crazy but i wrote a lot more for this story. please review, it really helps me to know what you guys think of the story. most importantly, enjoy!

* * *

**

15-All I Know

Brennan wasted no time. The guards who handcuffed her pushed her onto the plane, and she couldn't get off. Pulling out a satellite phone, she dialed Caroline's number, pacing in first class. "Caroline, it's Dr. Brennan."

"What's got you all out of breath, Cherie?"

"It's Booth." Caroline was about to make a smart remark when Brennan continued. "They took him."

"Who took him?"

"I don't know. We were at the airport and then the guard pointed his gun and if Booth would just let him have a gun then I could have-."

"Calm down, Cherie. How much longer in your flight?"

"About eight hours," Brennan answered, trying not to cry.

"OK, Cherie, I'll pull some strings and have Angela pick you up at the airport."

"Thank you, Caroline. Please don't tell James what's happened."

"Of course, Cherie." The line disconnected and Brennan sunk into her seat, trying to fall asleep so she wouldn't have to think about what was happening.

* * *

"Sweetie!" Angela cried as she saw her friend exiting the plane.

"Hi, Ange," Brennan replied as they hugged.

"Jack's already researching things back at the lab. It would be helpful if you could give us a description of the guy; when you're ready of course."

Brennan nodded. "Of course, Ange. I'd just like to see James." Angela nodded and led her friend to the car.

* * *

"Mommy!" James called as he saw his mother in the lab. "You're back!" He ran to her and she crouched down and accepted his hug.

"Hi, baby," Brennan said as she kissed him.

"Daddy?" he asked as he grabbed her hand.

Brennan took a deep breath. "Daddy isn't back yet, but he'll be here soon."

"OK," James said, no further questions coming to mind. Brennan forced a smile and looked at her son, so much like Booth. His mess of brown hair, his protective nature, his adorable smile, were all reminders of the man she loved.

"Dr. B?" Jack called.

"Yes, Hodgins?"

"I think I know where he is."

* * *

Booth fought the urge to roll his eyes. "NO HABLO ESPAŇOL," he repeated for what felt like the thousandth time.

One of the men snarled. "Stupid American," he spat. "Tell us what you know."

"About what?" Booth asked.

"About the body you've come to see."

Booth sighed. "I don't know anything."

"Nothing?" the man asked in an "are you sure?" tone.

Booth sighed. "What do you want to know?"

The man pulled a knife. "I will not say it again. I want to know what you know."

"She was a girl, fifteen. María Gonzalez. She was a student. That's all I know."

"Nothing else?" the man asked, pointing the knife at Booth's throat.

Booth smiled. "Just one more thing." He reached down to his ankle and pulled out his other gun. "Freeze, FBI."


	16. Bones, Wait!

**16-Bones, Wait!**

Jack ushered Angela, Cam, and Brennan onto his company's plane. James had been left with Jack's butlers, much to the little boy's confusion, but he pretty much went along with anything. Angela tried to distract Brennan throughout the flight, but the tension filled the cabin and it was unavoidable.

"Dr. B?" Jack asked carefully.

Brenna turned her head to her friend. "Yes, Dr. Hodgins?"

"I, um, I've sectioned off the area where Booth is on this map," he said, carefully sitting down next to her.

Brennan took the map and looked at it with tired eyes. A three-mile radius around a collection of old stone buildings had been circled. "How…?" Brennan started.

Hodgins looked her up and down and smiled. "The dirt on your clothes," he said, pointing, "gave me the airport's location, but the dirt from the man that held the gun to your head rubbed off on you. Apparently they do this sort of thing a lot."

"But these exact buildings?" Brennan asked.

"Dust revealed the stones to be dolostone, a very erosion-resistant rock that doesn't dissolve in acidic groundwater. It's the ideal stone for these buildings because of the area of the country they're located in. The chemicals that weren't naturally occurring in the stone led me to this area."

"Thank you, Hodgins," Brennan whispered, reaching and hugging her friend.

* * *

"Listen to me," Booth stated calmly. "You are going to get someone to take me to the airport. When we get there, you are going to buy me a ticket to Dulles International Airport so I can go home. First, though, you're going to turn yourself in to airport security. And by turn yourself in I don't mean you're only going to tell them that you impersonated law enforcement and kidnapped me, but you're also going to tell them that you killed that girl, because I know you did." Booth cocked his gun. "Now take out your damn cellphone and make the goddamn call."

* * *

The group landed at the airport in the midday Colombian heat. "OK, Caroline said she has a driver coming to get us, so he should be around here somewhere," Hodgins remarked as he stood on tiptoes and craned his neck.

"Perdón, are you Doctor Hodgins?" a tan man in a fitted chauffer's suit asked him.

"Sí, mucho gusto," Hodgins replied, shaking the man's hand.

"I am José, your driver. Wherever you need to go, tell me," José told them, bowing.

"Great! Let's get going!" Jack said, clapping his hands together.

_Bones_. It was faint, but she heard it. _Bones, hey_. "Wait," Brennan said. Everyone stopped. "Did you hear that?"

"You're just tired, sweetie. Come on," Angela told her, lightly taking Brennan's hand. _Bones_.

"No, I heard something."

"Bones, WAIT!"

"Oh my God," Cam said. The group whipped around and saw Booth pushing through the crowd.

"Bones!" he called. Brennan couldn't find her voice; she choked on air. "Bones!" he called again.

"Booth," she said softly. "Booth!" she cried out louder. Pushing unsuspecting travelers out of her path, she ran towards him as fast as her exhaustion would let her. Reaching out, she grabbed him and pulled him roughly against her. "What the hell, Booth?" she yelled.

"What?"

"We were just coming for you! What are you doing? Is someone after you?"

"Bones, calm down."

"No!"

"Bones, it's OK. They're in custody. I'm OK. I promise."

Her breath was shaky as her body trembled, and he caught her as she fell. "Booth."

"OK, baby, it's OK. I'm right here." He pulled her over to a wall by baggage claim, out of the way of the thousands of people, and slid down until he was sitting, cradling her against his chest.

"How did you…?"

"I had another gun."

Brennan smiled, the scene playing out in her head. "Maybe if you gave _me_ a gun we could have avoided all this trouble." Booth laughed until Brennan started crying again, the emotional strain weighing heavily upon her.

"Oh, Bones, don't cry." He stroked her hair and placed soft kisses to her head. "Let's go home."


	17. Where My True Love Lies

**soft M if that. just a warning. =)

* * *

**

17-Where My True Love Lies

"Daddy!"

"Buddy!" Booth picked up his son and swung him around before hugging him tightly. "How was staying at Uncle Jack and Aunt Angela's?"

"I played Wii with Mr. Kenton," the little boy said, pointing to the aging butler waiting in the living room. "I won," he said proudly.

"Good job, buddy. Thank you," Booth said, turning to the butler.

"You're quite welcome, sir," Mr. Kenton replied.

* * *

After James was asleep, Brennan crawled into bed next to Booth. Snuggling closer, she held him tightly and rested her head on his chest. "I don't know what I would do without you," she whispered.

"You don't have to think about it, Bones," he assured her.

Slowly, she slid down the bed and stopped at his bare feet. Picking up his left foot, she inspected it for any signs of new injury before kissing each of his toes, then the sole of his foot. She then picked up his right foot and did the same. Moving her hands to his waist, she pulled down his pajama pants and boxers. She ran her hands up his legs and over his waist. Slipping off his shirt, she kissed his abdomen and chest before feeling each muscle, each inch of skin.

Each of her caresses was gentle, loving, and investigative. Booth panted and let out a shaky breath as each of her touches aroused him even more. Brennan straddled him and stroked his face, her head cocked slightly to one side. She searched his eyes for mental anguish, but if there was any it was overshadowed by a burning love and desire.

Silently, he smiled and reached her waist where the hem of her shirt fell. He gathered the fabric in his hands before pulling it gently over her head. He then slid his palms down her legs, taking the rest of her clothes with them. "Booth," she breathed. "I need this."

He rolled so she was underneath him, knowing that she wanted him to take control. "I know," he whispered back. "I'm OK, Bones. I'm right here. I'm alright," he soothed.

"Please," she begged under his rapid kisses and the touches that danced across her burning skin. "Please show me."

He met her eyes as he joined them. Kissing her, he moved slowly at first, savoring the feel of her in his arms and around his waist. He dropped his head to her chest and kissed her breasts, feeling her chest heave with her deep breaths. She rolled her hips against him and kissed the space behind his ear. "Oh, Bones," he whispered. He moved a little faster, drawing short moans from Brennan. "God, baby, you're the only one that could ever make me feel this way, this good." He opened his eyes and looked at her, her eyes shut in pleasure, her mouth open. "God, you're so beautiful."

He couldn't help it—he moved faster and faster. "Booth, yes, yes," Brennan breathed in his ear.

She bucked under him and his eyes rolled back in his head. "Oh, Bones, _yes_." She bucked again and he stifled a loud moan by putting his head to her chest again. "Yes, oh, God, just like that," he moaned.

Brennan ran her nails down his back slowly. "Harder, Booth. As hard as you can. Don't stop."

Booth braced himself and forced himself in and out of her as hard as he could. "Bones," Booth warned.

Brennan wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. "Just a little more. So close," she said in his ear.

He held her close and continued to shove. "Come on, Bones," he prompted. She moaned. "Feels good, doesn't it? Doesn't it?" he repeated when she didn't answer.

"Yes," she replied in a strangled voice, a mere second before she came apart. "Yes, yes, yes," she repeated.

Booth let out a harsh cry of his own as he allowed himself to finally let go. He continued to hold her tightly as they regulated their breathing and became aware of their surroundings. Booth rolled to Brennan's side, pulling her closer. He kissed the tip of her nose before meeting her eyes. "I love you so much, Bones," he whispered.

Brennan put her hand to Booth's cheek, and he turned his head to kiss her palm. "I love you too, Booth. I'm glad you're home."

Booth lovingly ran his large hand over her head. "Me too, Bones."


	18. Special Powers

**thanks again everyone! please don't hesitate to tell me what you think of this story! this one is just a bit of fluff...enjoy!

* * *

**

18-Special Powers

Brennan woke up before Booth and decided to let him sleep. She couldn't help thinking that he looked cute, laying there shirtless, his chest rising and falling, his face peaceful as his head rested on the pillow. In the kitchen, she set about making coffee and pork roll and eggs for breakfast. She smiled as she put the meat in the pan and heard the padding of tiny bare feet against the hardwood floor. "Mommy," James announced, running towards her with his skin slapping the boards.

"Good morning, baby."

"Good morning," he replied sleepily.

"Would you like some orange juice?" Brennan asked him. James nodded and she poured some juice in a Green Lantern sippy cup. He usually drank from the lidded cups in the morning because he was still sleepy and clumsy, but as the day wore on he could use a regular glass. Presently, he held the cup in two hands and sipped thirstily. He released the spout with a smack and stood watching his mother cook.

"Mommy, I'm going reading," he informed her.

"OK, honey." She heard a book slide off the shelf, but as she looked over she couldn't catch which one her son had picked up. "What are you reading, James?"

"Book!" he called.

"Which one?" Brennan asked, approaching her son, who was sitting on the couch with a large hardcover book in his little hands. She crouched down to peek at the cover and saw it was one of hers. "Baby, I told you not to read Mommy's books."

"Why not?" James asked as he looked up.

"They're not appropriate for little boys," she told him, gently prying it from his fingers.

"When can I read it?" he asked.

"When you're married," Booth answered from the hall.

James stood up on the couch. "Well then you and Mommy can't read them either 'cause you're not married." Booth and Brennan smiled at each other and Brennan picked up James and plopped him into a sitting position on the couch.

"Well then you can read them when you're as old as Mommy and Daddy," she told him.

"Why don't you read this one, bud?" Booth suggested, handing his son a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. James opened his book, picked up his juice, and started reading.

"I was lonely waking up without you," Booth said as he joined Brennan in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I wanted you to sleep."

"Mmm, I _was_ tired. Especially after you woke me up last night," he reminded her silkily.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have done that," Brennan mused.

Booth growled and pulled her closer. "It was _absolutely_ the right thing to do."

"Booth, the breakfast is going to burn," she replied breathlessly. Booth smiled wickedly and kissed her open-mouthed on the neck before setting the table for breakfast.

* * *

Booth dressed his son and took him to the local hockey rink to skate as Brennan went to the lab to work on some reports. Booth rented James a pair of skates and showed the little boy how to tie the complicated laces. "Daddy, it's cold," James observed.

"It's ice, pal," Booth laughed. James staggered and Booth caught him easily. "Do it like this, bud," he advised, showing James how to glide rather than step. The little boy picked it up quickly and was soon skating right along with Booth, albeit slowly.

Every time he fell, he got right back up and skated again, seeming to enjoy the feeling of picking himself up. "Daddy, I want to play hockey," he said.

Booth smiled; he was ecstatic at the words that had just come from his youngest son's mouth. He loved watching Parker play baseball, but his true passion was hockey, and he had hoped that James would want to play. After all, he wasn't named after two hockey players for nothing.

Brennan arrived at the rink and rented herself a pair of skates. Skating out onto the rink, she met Booth and James and fell into step with them. "Mommy, I'm going to play hockey!" James announced before skating off.

Brennan took Booth's arm and smiled at him. "He wants to play?" she asked.

"Yeah, he just blurted it out."

"You're happy about this," Brennan observed.

Booth smiled shyly. "Yeah. I mean, I love watching Parker play baseball, and I really enjoyed coaching him when he was little, but hockey was big in my neighborhood growing up, you know?"

"It was an important part of your life growing up, and you want it to be an important part of his. I think it's great. It will certainly teach him the value of teamwork and help him make friends."

"Yeah, you know, 'cause a team…they're like your family." Brennan kissed him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Remember that time we skated outside at Hodgins'?" Booth asked.

"That's when you taught me to skate," Brennan remembered.

"Yeah. We've had a lot of good times on the ice, Bones."

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him. "We have, yes."

* * *

After a full day skating, pizza-eating, hot chocolate-drinking, and hockey fighting strategy, Booth, Brennan, and James sat on the floor of the apartment. Booth and Brennan had a blanket over their legs as they watched a movie with James. Booth chuckled when James squealed in delight, which caused James to look back at his father. "You like the movie, pal?" Booth asked.

"Yes!" James answered excitedly, running over and collapsing on top of Booth.

"You're gonna be the best hockey player out there, I know it," Booth said fondly as he stroked James' hair.

"You can't know that, Daddy," James giggled. Brennan patted him on the head.

"Hey, Daddies have special mind powers that let them know things."

"What things?" James asked, intrigued.

"Well, like how to take care of their kids when they're sick, or how to cook grilled cheese, or Santa's address."

James put his palm against Booth's forehead. "Do Mommies know stuff too?" he asked when he removed it.

Booth glanced at Brennan. "Mommies are very special. They know _everything_, especially your mommy. She knows all the bones, and different languages, and how to write books, but she also knows everything about you because you lived inside her."

James stood between Booth's legs and looked at Brennan. "I lived in there?" he asked as he pointed to Brennan's stomach.

"Yes you did," Brennan answered.

"But how did I fit?"

Brennan smiled. "You were just a tiny baby," she explained.

"How did you know I was in there?" James asked, fascinated.

"We used a special machine at the doctor's to see you."

James walked over to Brennan. "Did I hurt you?" he asked.

Brennan smiled at his concern. He certainly didn't need to know about the contractions and the kicking and the actual birthing. "No, baby. It was a very happy time for me and Daddy and Parker," she reassured, pulling him into her lap. Seemingly satisfied, James rested his head on Booth's thigh and his feet in Brennan's lap, soon falling into sleep. "Booth," Brennan started in gratitude.

"I know, Bones. But to me, and to Parker, and to _him_, you know everything." She knew that was all that mattered, and she smiled and kissed him deeply.


	19. Junior

**gahhh omg school has been so busy lately...please please review it would make me happy in the midst of this stressful year =)

* * *

**

19-Junior

"Sweets," Booth whispered, not bothering to knock on the door.

Piano music floated from the speakers as Sweets looked up. "Is there a case, Agent Booth?"

"No, no. Can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah," Sweets said, happy to be counted on. "What's up?"

"Bones has some publisher meeting and Charlie needs help with something so…."

James flew out from behind Booth's legs, unable to contain his excitement any longer. "Uncle Lance!" he shouted, running towards Sweets.

"Junior!" Sweets returned, pulling the boy into his lap.

"You don't mind babysitting?" Booth asked.

"No, of course not," Sweets laughed.

"Thanks so much, Sweets. Hey, why don't you take him to your place? You don't have to stick around here."

Sweets stood, James leaping down and running around the office excitedly. "Um, OK, if it's alright with you."

"James," Booth said in his military voice, and the little boy stopped at Booth's legs, panting. "It's the weekend, Sweets! Go have some fun. I'll pick him up in a few hours." Sweets agreed and they said their goodbyes before Sweets led James out to the car.

James opened the backpack Booth had given him and pulled out a toy truck and a dinosaur and proceeded to engage them in battle. "Here, Uncle Lance," James said when Sweets returned from changing his clothes. James handed Sweets the dinosaur and ran to grab a robot from the bag. "The robot rides on the truck and then he sees the dinosaur." Sweets roared like a dinosaur as James rolled the truck towards him. "Oh no, a dinosaur!" James yelled.

"Mmmm, I LOVE to eat robots!" Sweets growled as he moved the dinosaur.

* * *

"Thanks a million, Booth."

Booth smiled and clapped the man on the back. "Any time, Charlie." Booth whistled on the way back to his office, stopping dead as he looked through the glass doors. "CHARLIE!" Booth bellowed. Charlie barreled down the hall and stopped next to Booth. Written on the door was the sentence "YOUR JUVENILE PULLS THE ANATOMY." Booth grabbed his phone and dialed Sweets.

Sweets' phone rang. "Lance Sweets," he answered as James sat patiently in front of him.

"Sweets, it's me. Is James with you?"

"Yeah, you left him with me and hour ago, remember? Is something wrong?"

"Daddy!" James yelled, but Sweets was focused on Booth's words.

"Do you know what 'Your juvenile pulls the anatomy' means?" Booth asked.

"What? No, why?"

"Because it's written on the door of my office."

"No, I—oh."

"Oh _what_, Sweets?"

"It's….It's not James. It's Parker."

"The finger in the nest," Booth whispered.

"You need to go to Rebecca's."

"SEELEY BOOTH," they both heard.

Booth winced. "Too late."

"I'll be over soon." They hung up and Sweets grabbed James' hand. "Get your coat, Junior, come on."

"Park?" James asked of his brother.

"I don't know, Junior," Sweets confessed at they got on the elevator.


	20. One, Two, Three, Fork

**20-One, Two, Three, Fork**

"Seeley Booth," Rebecca repeated.

"Rebecca, I just-."

"Parker is missing!"

"I know," Booth said.

"I'll see what I can find out," Charlie said, and bolted back down the hall.

"Booth!" Brennan called out. He had called her as soon as he suspected something, and she was there in an instant, cutting her meeting with her publisher short. He hugged her and she rubbed his back.

"Booth! Dr. Brennan!" Sweets called. He ran in with James in tow.

"Parker?" James cried. Brennan picked him up and stroked his hair as he began to cry.

"Booth!" Charlie called, and they all rushed over. "He's at the diner." Booth brought Rebecca in his car while Sweets drove Brennan and James in his.

The diner looked like a tornado had gone through it. Chairs and tables were upturned everywhere, waitresses and cooks were cowering in corners, and Parker was at their table, tied to a chair, which was chained to the table. "Parker!" Rebecca cried, running to the boy. Booth cut the rope and let Rebecca and Parker hug, grabbing Parker when they finally broke apart.

"Parker," Booth mumbled.

"Daddy," Parker cried. "I…I was at the park and the man grabbed me. He said if I made any noise he would find you and Bones and kill you. He put me at the table and then he took all the money and put the fork in front of me."

"The fork?" Booth asked, handing Parker to Brennan as he walked over to the table. A fork lay there with the message "EVERY THEFT FORKS A POSE." "Every theft forks a pose," Booth repeated. "What does that mean?"

Sweets walked over to him. "It's a ruse." He met Booth's eyes. "This was meant to distract from something bigger."

Suddenly they noticed the TV cutting through the silence. "We're here at the White House as the President gets ready for his State of the Union address, which he'll deliver later this week," the reporter said.

"There's something in the corner of the screen," Brennan said. Walking over, she stood on the counter and squinted. "How does the politician count?" she read.

"Um, one, two, three, four?" Booth suggested.

"Five, six, seven, eight!" James shouted. Parker stroked James' hair, eyes fixed on Booth and Brennan.

"Wait, Booth, you're right," Brennan said. "Four. They count in fours because-."

"That's one term," Booth finished. "But four what, exactly?" They looked to Sweets.

"My guess is days," Sweets told them.

"Four days," Brennan said. "Until what?"

"I don't know," Booth said, staring at the screen. "I have no idea."


	21. A Hero's Journey

**21-A Hero's Journey**

It had been three days with no progress. Without a body, Brennan couldn't examine. Without a suspect, Booth couldn't interrogate. Angela couldn't sketch. Hodgins couldn't experiment. Sweets couldn't profile. Cam couldn't settle anyone down because no one _needed_ settling down. "One more day," Hodgins mumbled, head in hands.

"Maybe it was another distraction," Angela suggested.

"From what?" Hodgins asked. Angela shrugged.

The doors slid open and a delivery man walked through the lab. "I'm looking for Special Agent Seeley Booth," he announced.

"Yeah, that's me," Booth said as he hopped off the platform's low railing.

"Sign here," the man instructed, and Booth scrawled his signature before taking the thick envelope.

Carefully, he set it on one of the examination tables and opened it. A folded piece of paper was on top of what looked like a manuscript. "Sweets," Booth mumbled, and the young psychologist stepped forward. "WHY DOES AN INADEQUATE WRIST OPPOSE OUR WORST? THE EASIER PRO ANGLES THE CRACK."

"Sniping," Sweets said.

"Yeah, I got that," Booth replied.

"The first part is asking you something directly, Agent Booth." Booth looked at him intensely. "It's asking why you don't take the shot more often. Why you don't kill. The second part," Sweets continued after a breath, "suggests that whoever has been making these…let's call them threats, is better than you. He'll kill who you can't."

"Who can't he kill?" Hodgins asked.

Booth sighed. "People who I have doubts about."

Sweets took the manuscript. "A Hero's Journey," he said, flipping through.

"What's that?" Angela asked.

"It's also called the monomyth," Brennan supplied. "It's the typical story of a typical hero."

"There are three main parts: Departure, Initiation, and Return."

Booth took the book. "Part One: Departure. Her selective empire resides."

"What?" Sweets said, grabbing the book again. "Whoever sent this wrote that in there."

"What does it mean?" Hodgins asked.

Sweets pursed his lips. "It's referring to the lab. The 'her' is Dr. Brennan. At the time of her first meeting with Booth, she had selected all of you to be here, except for Dr. Saroyan, of course. Dr. Brennan is like the queen of the lab, this is her empire. She has chosen this to be her empire, and you 'reside' here."

"What's the first part, Sweets?" Booth asked.

Sweets flipped through the pages. "The Call to Adventure. The hero, in this case Booth, is living his normal life when suddenly he is called to action in an unknown place."

"So…the lab?" Booth asked.

"Yes. The call to action was asking Dr. Brennan for help. Then there is Refusal of the Call, which you also did, Agent Booth, when you told Ms. Julian that you would not work with Dr. Brennan. Then there's Supernatural Aid." He stopped. "I don't know what that part was," he admitted.

"It was God, Sweets," Booth told him.

"God?" Sweets asked.

"Yeah. That night Bones and I…whatever…I knew God had put her in my life. And God stopped me from going to the pool hall that night and every night since."

Sweets took a deep breath. "OK. God. Then comes Crossing of the First Threshold. That was solving the case with Dr. Brennan's help."

"Hey, don't forget about us," Angela added.

Sweets smiled. "And Dr. Hodgins and Angela," he added. Angela smiled. "So after that there's Belly of the Whale, in which Booth shows a willingness to enter into Dr. Brennan's world."

"But that took a year," Brennan argued.

"It doesn't matter how long it takes, just that it happens," Sweets explained. Booth shifted closer to Brennan, both of them very aware of how true that statement was. "OK, so that ends Departure. Then there's The Road of Trials, in which Booth undergoes a series of ordeals. This would be your cases, probably with special emphasis on a select few. Then comes The Meeting with the Goddess, where you experience a love so strong and unconditional it is unrivaled by any other."

Booth smiled and kissed Brennan on the head before wrapping his arms around her from behind. "What else?" he asked as he rested his head on Brennan's shoulder.

Sweets sighed. "Woman as Temptress. The hero is tempted to abandon or stray from his quest, with Woman as a metaphor for those temptations."

"What's that part?" Brennan asked.

Sweets opened his mouth but Booth spoke first. "It's my coma, Bones." She rubbed the hands on her stomach and Booth kissed her shoulder.

"Yes," Sweets agreed after some moments of silence. "Then comes Atonement with the Father. This could refer to Max's trial or any time you've gone to confession, probably confession if we're going in chronological order. Or it could also be your acceptance of Max's more fatherly approach to Dr. Brennan's life. Anyway, next is Apotheosis. This would be the beginning of your concrete relationship with Dr. Brennan. Then it's The Ultimate Boon."

Hodgins snorted. "Sorry. Funny name," he said when everyone looked at him.

"This is the achievement of the goal," Sweets continued. "This is different for you because your goal doesn't have a limit."

"Well, actually…" Booth started. Everyone looked at him expectantly. "I told Bones that I wanted to put away as many people as I've killed, and I've done that. But now I want to keep doing it, obviously. I mean, I had no idea we'd be so successful."

Sweets nodded. "That's what's called Refusal of the Return. You have found happiness in this world, and don't want to go back to your 'old world.' Then there's the Magic Flight, in which you bring the boon back to your world. You've done this by arresting people and testifying in court." Sweets flipped to the next page, which was blank except for "A WORLD SCREAMS" written in marker.

"Why is it like that?" Cam asked.

"This constitutes the parts of the journey you must now undertake, Agent Booth," Sweets answered, flipping through the pages. Rescue from Without, The Crossing of the Return Threshold, Master of Two Worlds, and, finally, Freedom to Live."

"What's Rescue from Without?" Booth asked.

"This is when your world comes to bring you back, since you are too weak to do it yourself."

"So this…person…thinks he's rescuing me by…by what?"

"By making you kill him," Sweets supplied.

"Why would he want to get caught?" Brennan asked.

"Because he wants me to know it's him. The craziest ones always want to be caught. Epps, the Gravedigger…they want the recognition."


	22. Rescue From Without

**thanks to everyone who's reviewing/reading! please please please dont be afraid to tell me what you think! enjoy!

* * *

**

22-Rescue From Without

Booth was deeply asleep, his arms wrapped tightly around Brennan, when the shrill ringing of his phone woke him up. "Ugh," he groaned and rolled onto his back, groping blindly for his phone. Brennan sleepily adjusted her sleeping position so that her arm was around his waist and her head was on his chest. "Booth," he mumbled.

"Booth, it's Sweets. You need to go to the State of the Union tonight."

"Mmm. Wait what?" Booth asked, sitting up. Brennan's eyes fluttered as she rolled over, determined to fall back asleep. Booth rubbed her back and focused his attention on Sweets.

"You need to go tonight. The killer wants to draw you in, and he knows you'll come. He knows the duty you feel to your country is stronger than most people's."

"I still don't get it, Sweets. What's in it for him?"

"Power."

"Power?" Booth asked.

"You are a man of control, Agent Booth. But right now, _he_ has the control. He's the one giving the orders, and he expects you to follow them."

"And what if I don't?" Booth asked defiantly.

"He'll find you," Sweets stated bluntly.

"How do you know?"

"Because he found the lab."

Booth hung up quickly. "Bones, get up," he said hurriedly, pulling on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve shirt.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Booth?" she asked, noticing his frantic expression.

"He's there."

"What?"

"He's there, the guy, at the lab." Brennan's eyes widened and she jumped out of bed. "Sweets is there."

"What are we going to do when we get there?" she asked.

Booth took a deep breath. "I don't know, I'll see what we're dealing with."

"What about James?"

"We have to take him."

"Booth!"

"Bones, we can't leave him here, and the team is gonna be there anyway. I can call Charlie for backup and leave James with him."

Brennan sighed and went to retrieve the sleeping boy. Quietly, she hurriedly dressed him and put on his shoes. "Mommy, where we going?"

"Mommy and Daddy are taking you to the lab so you can stay with Charlie."

"Lab! Charlie!" James yelled excitedly. Brennan picked him up and they hustled to the car. After James was buckled in, they sped off towards the Jeffersonian, not bothering with the sirens as they feared they would scare the perpetrator off.

"Good, no one else is here. The guy's gonna freak if he sees a lot of people pull up at once."

"How do you know he's watching?" Brennan asked as she opened James' door and he reached for her happily.

"I saw him, Bones. He's in the third window from the right, third floor. Don't look." Booth locked the car and turned to walk with them. "Is that Sweets?" Booth asked. "Sweets," he said as they got closer, "what are you doing?"

Sweets looked up from his book. "I'm trying to look inconspicuous."

Booth glared. "Get up and watch him, will ya?" Booth asked, handing James off to the psychologist.

"Uncle Lance!"

"Hey, Junior," Sweets responded, bending to pick James up as he kept his eye on Booth. "Booth, what are you doing?"

"I'm going in there. Come on, Bones. Here, take this," he said as he pulled the gun from his ankle holster.

"Isn't he watching?" she asked.

"No, he moved."

"I come too," James said simply.

"No," Sweets said quietly, reaching out and pulling James back.

"No, Uncle Lance. Mommy and Daddy there," James told him as if it were simple, pointing to his mother and father.

"Mommy and Daddy need you to stay here, OK?" He could see James' frustration. "I've been all by myself this whole day and I need some company. Can you keep me company?" James nodded and sat down in Sweets' lap.

* * *

Booth and Brennan crept into the lab. Booth knew the swish of the automatic doors would alert the man of their presence, but that was what he wanted. He needed to confront this man. Brennan slipped on something wet on the floor and Booth caught her with one arm. "Hmm, I see you've found me. I was watching you, of course." The man had appeared in front of them and Booth stepped back, wishing to no avail that Brennan would just stand all the way behind him.

"I know," Booth told him, his and Brennan's guns aimed at him.

The man chuckled lightly. "Yes. You're quite the little family there. And your son, well, he's just beautiful. Hair like yours, Agent Booth, but eyes like yours, Dr. Brennan, oh yes." His eyes flicked back to Booth. "Something tells me he's just as foolhardy as you are, though."

Booth's finger flexed on the trigger. "Don't you _dare_ talk about my son," he ground out through clenched teeth. The man just laughed.

"Why are you doing this?" Brennan asked.

The man looked at her. "I didn't mean for you to get caught up in this, Dr. Brennan. I really just wanted some alone time with Agent Booth. Or should I say _Sergeant_ Booth?" Booth blinked. The sandy blonde hair, the piercing yet somehow friendly eyes.

_It's OK, you're gonna make it. Stay with me._

The man noticed Booth's recognition flicker across his face. "Donald Parker," he introduced himself.

"Teddy didn't have a brother," Booth mumbled.

The man smiled a sickening smile. "How sweet of you to remember. No, Teddy was my cousin. We were best friends until he died. Until you _let_ him die."

Booth shook his head. "Teddy's cousin," he whispered.

"Yes," the man replied smoothly. "I really thought you would've gotten it sooner, especially with Dr. Brennan here to help you out." He knew Booth was confused, he could see it on his face. "Why do you think I used your other son as the first clue?"

Booth's hand seemed to spasm around the gun. "I will kill you. How dare you touch my son."

"Why are you doing this?" Brennan repeated.

"I'm destroying your new world, Agent Booth. You see, I want you to live in the old world, where you _belong_. The one in which _you killed Teddy_."

"You think I don't live with that disappointment every day?" Booth asked him angrily. "You think I don't wish he was still here?"

"I don't care!" the man cried out. "I want you to come back, Agent Booth. Come back to the world you lived in before all this…hero nonsense." Suddenly the lights flickered and went off. "Hmm, right on time."

Brennan's other senses filled in the gaps quickly and she sniffed. "Booth, do you smell that?"

"Smell what?"

"It smells like…" she started, then heard the flick of a lighter, "like bleach."

"That's right," the man whispered, then lit the flare he'd been holding.

Brennan bit her lip and even Booth realized it: he couldn't shoot. In a few minutes they were all going to burn.


	23. The Crossing of the Return Threshold

**23-The Crossing of the Return Threshold**

The orange sparks crackled in front of their eyes, and Booth was surprised and slightly sickened to find he was almost frozen with fear. At least he knew what being shot at and beaten were like. Hell, he even knew what being blown up was like. But burning alive…that was different. Because you couldn't experience it and live to tell the tale. He wanted to tell Brennan to run, but even his quietest whisper would be heard over the popping of the flare. The fuse was getting shorter, the flames closer and closer to Donald's hand.

"Aren't you going to shoot, Agent Booth?" Donald asked. "This thing is getting _awfully_ hot. I might just drop it." Booth's hand remained steady, but his heart was stuttering like an old car. "Shoot me, Agent Booth. Go on, do it. I know you can. I _believe_ in you. Do it for Teddy."

Everything fell silent; even the flames seemed to quiet as Booth's mind whirred. "Teddy was a good guy," Booth said. "He wouldn't want me to take the shot and he wouldn't want me to kill you." Booth's eyes widened as the flare started to die out, and he nudged Brennan's foot with his own. She reached back but the door was locked. Donald gave a deep laugh and dropped the flare onto the floor.

* * *

"Did you see that?" Sweets asked Charlie.

"See what?"

Sweets pointed frantically. "The door, it rattled." Without giving it a second thought, Sweets bolted for the front door of the lab. His sneakers pounded the concrete path, the air hitting him full force as he leapt over plants and holes in the sidewalk. He reached the door and rested against it for a moment, panting after his frantic sprint. He peered through the glass, but everything was black. And then there it was: a flash of orange and a growing bright spot. The door became hot, the crackling louder. "Oh no. No, no, no," he recited, a pained expression on his face before sprinting back.

* * *

"Bones, run."

"No."

Donald emitted a low, rumbling chuckle as towering flames erupted, separating him from Booth and Brennan. "You're a nice couple. Now if you look around, you'll notice the emergency sprinklers haven't come on. It's not going to happen. Shoot me, Agent Booth, or hear me scream, just like Teddy." Booth exhaled through his nose and closed his eyes. "Face it, Agent Booth, you're going to _burn_. And you too, Dr. Brennan," he added as if he was telling them to have a good night or enjoy the movie.

"And what if I don't?" Booth asked.

"Like I said, Agent Booth, you'll have to hear me scream as I die."

"Bones, I said run!"

"And I said no!"

"There's nowhere to go," Donald told them.

"This doesn't make sense!" Booth shouted over the roaring of the fire.

"Hmm. Well, you see, originally I was going to leave you in here while I made my way over to the White House. But then I decided I'd _much_ rather see _you_ die. The President never did anything to me, it was just a way to get at you. But then I realized I could get you back much better if I actually _got you_. So really, I think it makes a lot of sense. But then again, only one-third of us is a genius."

The sound of glass shattering broke their stalemate and sent Booth and Brennan to their knees, arms over their heads. "Make that one-half," Sweets said. Brennan used the distraction to blindly find the override system and turn on the generator. The lights and sprinklers came on, the former temporarily blinding everyone while the latter doused the flames.

The force of the shot had caused Sweets to drop the gun he'd borrowed from Charlie, and Booth saw everything in better focus than he'd ever seen anything before as Sweets bent down, his back hunched, his arms out, and Donald raised his weapon. "Sweets!" he shouted.

Brennan stuck out her foot and kicked Sweets to the ground, and he landed with an umph as Booth rattled off two rapid shots, burying one of the bullets in Donald's shoulder and the other in his leg. Donald dropped his gun and Booth dragged him over to the railing of the platform, cuffing him with his injured shoulder in the air. Charlie and the other agents ran in as Booth lumbered over and helped Brennan pull Sweets from the ground.

"Thanks, dude," Sweets whispered, grabbing Booth and encompassing him in a boa constrictor-esque hug. "You too, Dr. Brennan," he said as he hugged her as well.

"Hey, you're the one who saved us from the fire," Booth told him as he slapped the younger man on the back. "But you know you totally stole my move, shooting through the door and everything."

Sweets laughed and blushed. "I learned from the best."


	24. Master of Two Worlds

**24-Master of Two Worlds**

Booth and Brennan stood with Sweets, watching Donald being led away by two agents. "Do you want me to get a statement, Booth?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, that would be great, Charlie," Booth sighed. Charlie put his hand on Booth's arm and walked away. Booth turned to Brennan and met her eyes. "I'm so sorry this happened, Bones."

"It's not your fault, Booth. Just because he went after you doesn't mean it was your fault." Booth nodded. "Besides, it should only take a day or two to replace the floor and clean everything up."

"Guys?" Sweets asked. They turned to him. "They said we can go now. They'll…take him back to the Hoover."

Booth nodded. "Come on, Bones. I'll drop you and James at home and then I'll go back to the Hoover."

"Booth, are you sure?" Sweets asked. Normally he wouldn't say anything, but he knew that Booth could be dealing with some deep issues of remorse about Teddy.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'll see ya there, Sweets." Booth kissed Brennan on the head and they walked out together. "James," Booth called. Their son was sitting on the grass with one of the FBI techs playing some sort of hand game.

James turned and picked himself up, running to his parents. "Daddy, bones?" he asked.

Booth sucked in a breath and Brennan squeezed his hand. "No, sweetheart," she told him. "Everything's OK."

James nodded. "Where Uncle Lance?"

"Hi, Junior," Sweets said from behind Booth and Brennan.

"Uncle Lance!" James stumbled the short distance to Sweets and clutched his leg. Sweets rubbed James' head affectionately.

"Baby, why don't you let Daddy and Uncle Lance go back to work and we can go home?" Brennan suggested. James nodded and grabbed her hand.

"Bones, I'll take you," Booth reminded her.

"We'll get a cab. Just go so you can come home," she said, affectionately stroking his cheek. He nodded and kissed her gratefully.

"See ya later, pal," he told James, kissing him on the head.

Brennan and James parted ways with Sweets and Booth and hailed a cab.

"Come on, baby. Do you want a sandwich?" she asked him once they were home.

"Yes! Peanut butter and banananas," he told her.

"Bana_nas_," she corrected softly.

"Ba…na…nas," he repeated.

"Come on, honey, you can spread the peanut butter." Brennan sat James on the counter and gave him a plastic knife. She put two pieces of bread on a paper towel and opened the peanut butter. James loaded the knife with peanut butter before spreading it all over the two slices of bread. Brennan cut up half a banana and put the pieces on the sandwich. "OK, baby, can you help me put it together?" she asked. James smiled and picked up one half of the sandwich, plopping it unsteadily on the other. He picked it up and took a big bite while Brennan poured him a glass of milk. He offered Brennan a bite and she took it, James giggling as he spread peanut butter on her face with his free hand.

Brennan wiped his hands off as well as her own face and took him into the living room. James grabbed his Harry Potter book and Elliott and sat himself on Brennan's lap. Opening the book, he began to read to her. "And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words…."

He read for an hour before Brennan told him it was time for his bath. She undressed him and sat him in the warm bathwater. It was only then that she realized that she smelled like fire and ash, and she winced, wondering when Booth would be home. James giggled as he splashed his little hands and played with a toy shark that squirted water out of its mouth. "Da dum. DA DUM, DA DUM," he sang as he reenacted Jaws. "RAWRRRRRR!" he yelled as the shark soared over his head and splashed back into the water. "Mommy, did you see that?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes, baby, I did," she told him, smiling as she filled a bucket with water. "Lean your head back," she commanded softly. James tilted his head back and closed his eyes as warm water cascaded over him. Brennan worked shampoo into his hair before rinsing it and lifting him out of the tub and into a soft towel. "Brrrrrrr," she said as she blew air through her lips and dried him. James giggled loudly and squirmed in delight under the towel. Brennan put him in his pajamas and sent him to the living room as she got in the shower.

* * *

Booth arrived at the apartment to see James sitting on the couch reading. "Hey, buddy."

"Daddy!" he squealed. He reached out his arms and Booth pulled James onto his lap.

"How was your day, pal?"

"Good! Mommy made me peanut butter and ba…na…nas," he said slowly, making sure he got it right. "Then we read and then I took my bath."

Booth kissed him on the head. "And where is Mommy now?"

"In the shower."

"OK. Hey, you wanna watch SportsCenter?" James nodded enthusiastically and Booth turned on the TV. They watched silently as the hosts recapped important sports news and events from the day. Soon James was asleep and Booth turned off the TV. His day had been filled with follow-up on Donald, giving statements, and filling out reports, and he was content to relax and sit silently with his son. James rested his head on Booth's shoulder as he slept, and Booth smiled down at him. Just coming home to his family could make everything else seem unimportant; he only wished that Parker was there with them. Reaching out, he stroked James' temple with his knuckles, his heart lurching at the sight of his little boy sleeping soundly in his arms.

The hairs on the back of his neck pricked up, and he could tell Brennan was watching him. "Hey, Bones," he said softly, not taking his eyes off of James.

Brennan walked over and kissed Booth on the cheek, and he returned it with one on her lips. "You changed," she said, noticing he was now wearing a t-shirt and track pants.

"Yeah. I went to the gym. I was just so…juiced up, still." James noticed his father's tension and made a whimpering noise in his sleep. "Let's put him to bed," he suggested. They tucked James in and turned out the light before making their way across the hall to their own bedroom.

"You OK?" Brennan asked. She knew he was struggling to process everything that had happened.

"Yeah. I just…I'll always feel guilty about Teddy. This just really brought that to the forefront I guess. I needed…." He took a breath. "I just needed to be with him. To remind myself I did something good in my life."

"Booth, you've done so many good things in your life." He looked at her and her eyes sparkled with the truth of her statement.

Booth rested his head on her shoulder. "Bones," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she asked as she kissed the top of his head.

"I wanna make love to you."

"Mmm, I guess that's acceptable," she joked. He laughed and climbed over her, losing himself in the only person that he trusted to keep him safe.


	25. Freedom to Live

sorry it's been so long! rl has been so crazy, as usual, but i hope you all enjoy these updates. please review if you can, even if it's just a few words! thanks!

* * *

**25-Freedom to Live**

"Buddy. Wake up," Booth whispered.

"Daddy?" James mumbled. "Something bad happen?" he asked.

"No, buddy. Everything's OK now." James nodded sleepily. "Come on, you want cereal and bananas?" James nodded sleepily again and reached out to Booth, who picked him up. Booth walked down the hall with a barely-awake James and attempted to place him in a kitchen chair. "Here you go, pal," Booth said softly, putting the bowl in front of James and stroking his hair. Looking at the clock, Booth noticed the time and decided to wake Brennan up, remembering that she wanted to get to the lab to oversee some of the reconstruction with Cam.

He opened the door to their bedroom quietly and let his eyes adjust to the dark. Brennan was asleep on her side, facing the window. He crept over and stroked the hair from her face. "Wake up, Bones. It's 7:30," he whispered.

"Mmm," Brennan mumbled. "Come back to bed," she enticed.

"James is up," he told her.

"Already?" she asked, a bit dismayed that she couldn't have Booth to herself for another round or two.

Booth laughed. "I'm taking him to sign up for hockey. He doesn't know it yet." Brennan smiled. He really was such a wonderful father. Sighing, she buried her face in the pillow, causing Booth to chuckle again. "Did I tire you out?" he asked laughingly.

"I'm always up for more," she responded seductively, pulling him to her by his t-shirt. He moaned and climbed over her, ripping the covers off of her as he longed to get closer. Brennan ran her hands under Booth's shirt, skimming his warm chest and abs.

"Jesus, Bones," he said as he pressed his hips into hers.

"Daddy! Dress!" James called from the kitchen.

Booth groaned and Brennan rubbed his back. "I'll get him."

Booth chuckled and thanked her, heading straight for the shower and turning the faucet to freezing. He could easily turn it on hot and give himself some much-needed relief, but he knew Brennan didn't have time to do the same for herself, so he stepped into the freezing spray. He still found it amazing that with a few touches she could have him spiraling into a foggy arousal that was so good it almost hurt.

Brennan lifted herself out of bed and opened her door. "James?" she called out. She heard drawers being opened and followed the sound into James' room. Clothes were being strewn onto the floor as the little boy rifled through his drawers looking for clothes.

"Mommy!" he cried, looking at her with happiness before returning to his hunt.

"What are you doing, baby?" Brennan asked with a smile.

"Dress myself," James answered simply. Brennan walked over to her son. "This shirt," he said simply, holding up a t-shirt with a picture of the Green Lantern on it.

"OK, honey, pick those other shirts up please." While James was picking up his thrown-about clothes, Brennan heard the shower finally shut off and felt a pang of regret that they couldn't give each other what they wanted.

When Booth emerged, James was reading aloud on Brennan's lap. Booth walked over and sat next to them, enjoying the sound of his son reading so fluently and eagerly. At the end of the chapter, Brennan kissed James on the head and Booth took his hand. "Come on, pal, get your coat."

"Where we going?" he asked.

"Daddy's going to sign you up for hockey," Booth told him.

"HOCKEY!" James shouted, tugging on Booth's jeans before hugging Brennan and running around the room.

"Come on, pal, let's go," Booth reminded him. James reached for Booth's hand and they both kissed Brennan goodbye before heading out the door.

* * *

Brennan met Cam at the lab and was followed by Hodgins and Angela. The construction crew told them it would only take another two days to repair the floors, and the FBI had told Cam that the team could use their lab if any new cases arose. Brennan sighed. It wasn't, of course, up to their standards, but it was definitely better than some of the other "labs" she'd worked in, if they could be called that.

"Something wrong, sweetie?" Angela asked.

"No," Brennan responded softly. "Nothing's wrong." She had been thinking lately though, but before she talked to Booth she couldn't tell Angela.

Angela nodded. "So where are your men?"

Brennan smiled. "Booth is signing James up to play hockey."

"Oh my God that is adorable," Angela commented. "Do you wanna pick something up at the diner with me and Jack?" she offered.

"Sure," Brennan decided, and Jack drove them to their destination.

* * *

Booth stroked James' head as they waited in line. "Excited, pal?" Booth asked as James shifted from one foot to the other. The boy nodded enthusiastically and stepped up to the table. Booth leaned over and filled out his son's information as James bounced up and down and looked around the rink. "OK, all done," Booth said as he grabbed his son's hand. The woman at the desk smiled at Booth and he smiled back. "Let's go see Mommy." He called Brennan and she told him that she'd bring them something from the diner.

"Booth?" she'd asked.

"Yeah?"

"When you guys get home…maybe we could talk? Just the two of us?"

"Of course, Bones. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing like that," she'd reassured him. "Just thinking about something. I wanted to get your opinion."

"Sure, Bones," he'd replied with a smile. Truth was, he was thinking about something too. Looking at his son, he felt the pull of wanting another child. Even though he and Jared hadn't had the best relationship, they were constant companions growing up, and Booth knew how much value that had. He knew that before Russ left, he and Brennan had had a very close relationship. He also knew that James and Parker had a loving relationship, but they weren't always around each other, and Parker was more of the mentor type of brother than he was the friend type of brother. He was, of course, going to let Brennan address whichever issue was on her mind, but he did intend to bring it up.

Walking in the door, Booth took James' coat and sent him to his room for a nap. Brennan arrived ten minutes later with their lunches. Booth opened his hamburger and fries and chowed down, all the while wondering what Brennan had to say and when she was going to say it.


	26. The Boy in the Apartment

**26-The Boy in the Apartment**

"What's on your mind, Bones?" Booth asked, turning to face her as she stole one of his fries and busied herself with chewing it.

"Um, I…" she started after swallowing.

Booth searched her eyes, but she seemed hesitant to look at him. "Bones, you're scaring me. You can tell me. What is it?"

Brennan met his eyes. "I didn't mean to scare you, Booth. It's just, well, I've been thinking lately, and…"

Booth grabbed her hand. "Bones," he prompted softly.

"I'd like to have another baby." She registered his shocked expression and continued hurriedly. "But I know you already have two and having James with you is more than I could ever hope for-."

"Bones," he interrupted with a finger to her lips. "First of all, _we_ have two kids. Parker is just as much your son as he is mine." He knew she was about to say something, but he stopped her. "Second of all, I want as many kids as God blesses us with."

"So you…?"

Booth smiled and kissed her, letting his tongue explore her bottom lip. "Yes, Bones. I've been thinking about it too, you know."

"You have?" she asked in between kisses.

"Mmhmm. What do you say we start right now?" Brennan smiled and wrapped her legs around Booth's waist as he carried her to the bedroom.

* * *

The next morning Booth stepped into the shower and blindly picked up the new bottle of body wash Brennan had left sitting on the edge of where the tub met the wall. Squeezing it dollop onto his hand, he began to rub it onto his chest. "Ow," he whispered, and looked down to notice that Brennan had bought a body wash the color of yellow mixed with tan, and that it had little brown flecks in it. "Bones!" he called.

Brennan quickly entered the bathroom and saw Booth's head poking out of the shower curtain. "What's wrong, Booth?"

"Um, why does the body wash have these, uh…seed things in it?" he asked curiously.

"It exfoliates your skin," she explained. "There's Irish Spring in the closet if you want."

Booth smiled. "Thanks, Bones. It's nice, I just don't want to show up at work smelling like…"

"Honeysuckle," she finished.

"Sure." He flashed her a smile and she couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

Brennan decided to go the lab early and check out the newly finished construction. She led James by the hand through the doors, where she was greeted by Cam. "They really did an excellent job," Brennan commented.

"They did, didn't they?" Cam said back.

"Hey, guys," Angela greeted, walking in followed by Hodgins.

"Aunt Angela!" James yelled.

"Sweet Baby James!" she said back, scooping him up and giving him a kiss. "What do you think of the lab? It looks nice, right?" James nodded and reached to hug Hodgins around the neck.

"Come on honey, it's time for school," Brennan told him. James wriggled in Angela's arms and ran to hug Cam and Hodgins goodbye once he was on the ground.

They were on their way to the school when Brennan's phone rang. "Brennan," she answered. "Hi, Booth."

"Daddy!" James yelled from the back. Brennan handed him the phone and he put it to his ear. "Hi, Daddy," he said with a grin on his face.

"Hey, pal. What are you up to?"

"Going to school," he said.

"OK, have a good day."

"OK."

"Can you give the phone to Mommy?"

"OK. Love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, bud."

"Hello, Booth," Brennan said with a laugh.

"Hey, Bones. Listen, can you meet me at a crime scene after you drop him off?"

"Of course. What's the address?"

"225 Massachusetts Avenue NW. The Latrobe Apartments."

"OK, I'll be there."

* * *

Brennan dropped James off and went straight to the crime scene, where she found Booth outside waiting for her, surrounded by techs and yellow tape. "Body's right over here, Bones," he told her, guiding her by the small of her back to a half-skeletonized body.

"Female, approximately 150 centimeters, ten to fifteen years old judging by the incomplete fusion of the epiphyseal plate. Broken mandible."

"Definitely extensive bleeding," said Cam.

"Back to the Jeffersonian?" Booth asked, slapping his index cards on his open palm. Brennan nodded and everything was rounded up.

"Dr. Brennan?" one of the techs called. Brennan's head snapped up. "Um, we found a, um…"

"What?" Brennan snapped. Suddenly a small boy ran out from a cluster of techs and latched on to Brennan's leg. "He was in the apartment. You took that other baby, Andy, so we figured you could take him?"

The boy looked to be about two or three years old. He had a mop of black hair and dark brown eyes. His clothes were dusty and his face was tear-stained and slightly grimy. "Of course," Brennan said after a look at Booth. She strapped the little boy in James' car seat and started towards the lab. "Brennan," she answered when her phone rang.

"Dr. Brennan, Booth told me about the little boy. Cleaning the bones is going to take a while, so why don't you take him home for a while?"

"OK, that sounds good. Thanks, Cam."

* * *

Brennan scooped up the little boy and filled the bathtub. Stripping his clothes, she stuttered as she tried to hold in her gasp—the little boy was covered in bruises. She held back her tears as she lifted the boy into the bath and washed him carefully. After she bathed him, she dressed him in some of James' old clothes and took him back to the lab. She sat him on the couch, but didn't know what to give him to play with. James liked to play with model bones and read, but she didn't know if this boy even _could_ read.

Angela raced in, relieved to see Brennan standing there, the boy on her couch. "Here sweetie, I got him this," she said, holding up a stuffed pug.

Brennan smiled. "Ange, you didn't have to. But you did save me." She held the dog out for the boy to grab. "Ruff ruff!" she barked, shaking the dog. The boy smiled and grabbed the dog, putting its muzzle in his mouth. _Well, at least he's like James in that regard_, she thought.

"Hey, Bones. Hey, Ange." The boy froze at the sound Booth's voice. "Hey, little man," he said, crouching down. The boy grabbed Brennan around the neck and hid his face from Booth. "What's wrong?" Booth asked him.

"Booth," Brennan whispered. "We need to talk."


	27. One Over Cosine

**27-One Over Cosine**

"Booth, he's afraid of you because you're a man," Brennan whispered.

"What?"

"I don't like to jump to conclusions, but…." She raised her eyebrows as she continued to rub the little boy's back.

Booth caught a glimpse of a bruise and his eyes widened. "Oh. Oh, God. What are we going to do?"

Brennan sat the boy in her lap as she sat on the couch. "I don't know. I'll keep him here for a while if you can pick up James from school."

Booth nodded. "Yeah. Sure. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Booth. I love you."

"I love you too, Bones."

She could tell he was disappointed, but she knew that for now she had to keep the little boy on her lap as comfortable as possible.

* * *

Booth watched as James climbed into the SUV and buckled himself into his car seat. "Hi, Daddy!"

"Hey, pal. How was school?"

"Good! We did adding."

"That's great," Booth said. Outside he was smiling, but inside he was a nervous wreck. All day he had been thinking about how to tell his son there would be another child staying with them, but he couldn't seem to come up with something adequate to say. "Bud, I have something to tell you." He met his son's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Mommy and Daddy went to get some bones today and…well, someone is going to stay with us, OK?"

"Who is it?" James asked.

Booth opened his mouth, then closed it, not sure how to put it. "Just think of him as a little brother."

* * *

Brennan took the boy home again and decided he should eat some dinner. "What would you like to eat?" she asked the little boy. He blinked under the strands of black hair that hung over his eyes, saying nothing. Brennan realized he hadn't spoken since she'd seen him. She looked through the cabinets until she found some oats. "Do you like oatmeal?" she asked him. He smiled a small smile. "Would like me to make some for you?" The boy nodded shyly. "OK," Brennan said softly. After mixing the oatmeal and placing the bowl in front of him, she kissed him on the head, then froze before smiling.

She sat down beside him and watched him eat slowly. "Do you like it?" she asked. He nodded and let the spoon hang from his mouth. "My name is Temperance. Can you tell me yours?"

The boy slowly pulled the spoon from between his lips, releasing it with a smack. "Jaime." His voice was scratchy but soft, innocent but with a tinge of insecurity.

"Bones, we're home!" Booth called. Jaime gave a short cry and jumped into Brennan's arms. "Oh geez. I'm sorry, little man."

"No, no!" Jaime cried.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," Booth tried to soothe.

James approached the little boy. "It's OK. Daddy gives lots of hugs."

Jaime looked back at Booth and then quickly hid his face again, as if he were trying to believe the older boy but just couldn't. "Come on, pal," Booth said, defeated. "Go wash your hands and start your homework."

James ran to the bathroom and Brennan set Jaime down in the living room to play with the stuffed pug. "Bones," Booth started. "I…What do I do?"

Brennan took his hand. "Maybe we need to show him that you're kind and gentle. He needs to see you caring for us."

Booth kissed her and nodded. "OK. That sounds good."

Brennan started on dinner and James sat doing his homework. Jaime was playing in the living room while Booth looked over files and photos from the case. "Daddy!"

"What's up, pal?"

"I need help with math."

Booth turned to Brennan. "Why does he still think I can do math?" Booth laughed.

"It's simple addition, Booth."

"I don't want him to get the wrong impression. He'll come to me when he's in high school and ask me what one over cosine is and I'll look like an idiot."

Brennan laughed and handed him and oven mitt. "Take the mac and cheese out, please." She walked towards the living room then turned back. "It's secant, by the way."

Booth smiled, but it fell when Brennan returned to the kitchen. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Look," she whispered. He rose and stood next to her, surprised at the scene in front of him: Jaime had pulled himself up onto the couch and was sitting next to James. Jaime pointed to the paper and whispered softly, watching as James scribbled something down with his pencil.

"That's amazing," he whispered. James leaned over and hugged Jaime, who, after a moment, returned the hug. "You're doing a good thing, Bones."

She glanced at him. "I need your help."

Booth smiled, then frowned slightly. "If he'll let me," he replied, nodding his head at the little boy sitting by their son.


	28. Bruises and Babies

**28-Bruises and Babies**

"Sweetie," Angela breathed as she stepped onto the platform and Brennan looked up expectantly. "Marissa Garrott, aged 10."

Brennan nodded as she looked at the picture, noticing the way her bone structure was similar to Jaime's. She grimaced as her heart ached. "Thanks, Ange. I'll call Booth." She walked to her office and sank down onto the couch.

"Booth," he answered when she called.

"Marissa Garrott, aged 10," Brennan told him.

"OK, hold on. I'm looking it up." He took her silence to mean that she was waiting, and his eyes flicked across the computer screen as he waited for the results of his search. "You alright, Bones?"

Brennan sighed. "I'm fine. It's just…she looks so much like Jaime. I don't want to think about what this means for him."

He could hear her fighting off tears on the other end of the line, and he rose from his chair even though standing couldn't actually help anything. "Hey, hey, it's OK, Bones. We know who this girl is, and this means that we're one step closer to solving this thing. You know we'll catch who did this, you know it. For now, we love Jaime and we make sure he's OK."

Brennan smiled, though she was still upset. "You're right, Booth." She sniffed. "Do you have the report?"

"Yeah. Reported missing two days ago by her third grade teacher, Ashley Norwood. I'll pick you up?"

"Yes. Maybe later we can compare Marissa's and Jaime's fingerprints?"

"Of course, Bones. I'll be there soon."

* * *

Booth picked her up and they headed to the elementary school. "Excuse me? FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth, this here is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian, we're looking for Ms. Norwood."

The secretary looked up from her desk to answer him. "Yes, Ms. Norwood is in room 213."

"Thank you," Booth said, and smiled before he and Brennan headed off to find the room. After a quick walk down a straight and narrow hallway, they arrived at 213, the last room on the right. Booth knocked and waited for Ms. Norwood to open the door.

After introducing himself and Brennan again, he allowed Ms. Norwood to step into the hallway. "Ms. Norwood, you reported Marissa Garrott missing, is that correct?"

"Y-yes," the teacher stammered. "She was never absent, and if she was the school was always notified. I sent one of the students, her neighbor, to deliver her homework to her, but he said no one answered the door, and I called the house and no one answered, and she still hadn't shown up." She took a deep breath and met Booth's eyes, then Brennan's. "Did you find her?"

Booth sighed; he hated this part. "I'm afraid she's been murdered." Ms. Norwood looked like she was about to be sick, but she held it together.

"Did you ever suspect that Marissa was being abused?" Brennan asked, remembering Jaime's bruises.

"Oh—no, no I never thought anything like that. She went to the nurse a lot, but she said she got frequent migraines. You can ask the nurse if you like, it's just down the hall and to the left."

Booth nodded. "Thank you. If you think of anything else, just give me a call," he informed her, handing her his business card. She nodded and reentered her classroom.

* * *

Brennan drove to Hodgins' after an hour back at the lab so she could take Jaime's fingerprints. One of Hodgins' maids had been taking care of him, although it pained Brennan to be apart from him when the whole situation was a bit confusing.

Jaime looked up from a purple plastic dinosaur he was holding when he heard Brennan's voice. He ran to her and rested against her legs. "Hi, Jaime. Do you want to play with me?" Jaime nodded excitedly and Brennan took out and ink pad and a fingerprint kit. "OK, now press your finger as hard as you can right there," she told him. He happily did as he was told for every finger. When she started to rise, he reached for her with black, inky fingers and she picked him up. He hugged her and buried his face in her neck. He then kissed her on the cheek and giggled, and she kissed him back, his laugh infectious.

* * *

"Booth," he answered.

"Booth, Cam compared the fingerprints. They're not brother and sister—they're cousins."

"OK. The nurse said Marissa came in about once a week with new bruises. She said someone named Andy Garrott had threatened her not to call the police. We're looking for him now."

"OK."

Booth could hear the sadness in her voice. "Why don't I pick you up and we go home?"

"I should stay," she said less than half-heartedly.

"Bones, it's six o'clock. Let's go, I'll come get you."

"OK," she said again, and he grabbed his keys and headed out to his car.

* * *

"Are you sure you're OK, Bones?" Booth asked when they were lying in bed that night. "You've been really quiet." His eyes implored her to look at him.

"I'm worried."

Booth stroked her hair lightly and shifted closer to her. "About what?"

"Remember when we had baby Andy?" she asked him, turning so she was stroking his chest.

"Yeah," he said, smiling at the image of the baby in his mind's eye.

"Well, I had to give him back, and I'm glad someone could take care of him, but I missed him. And now, I mean I know what it's like to have a child and care for and love that child, and now I really want…." She stopped as she started to cry into Booth's chest.

"You don't want to give Jaime away," he said as he rubbed her back and kissed her hair. He felt her nod. "Don't worry about that, Bones. You're doing all you can to make sure he's happy and loved, and that's all you can do right now. Even if we can't keep on taking care of him, you helped him through this and you kept him safe and loved him. I'd say that's more than most people have done at this point."

Brennan sniffed and looked up at him with watery eyes. "Thank you, Booth," she whispered.

"Always, Bones. Come on, let's get some sleep."


	29. Snake

**29-Snake**

"Bones," Booth said over the phone, "we found Andy Garrott. He was making his way to Florida; Charlie chased him down in North Carolina and they're bringing him back now. We should be able to question him tonight."

"OK, thanks, Booth."

Booth smiled. "Diner?" he asked her.

"Actually I was going to bring Jaime home and eat with him. I can pick something up for us."

"No, it's OK. I'll get it and bring it home. I just have to finish settling the details with Charlie."

They hung up and Brennan picked up Jaime from his seat on the couch. "Come on honey, how about lunch?" Jaime smiled and laughed as they made their way to the car.

Brennan entered the apartment and put Jaime down to climb up on the couch. He sat silently for a while, observing his surroundings, before he caught sight of one of Booth's belts thrown over the arm of the couch.

"Ouch," he said.

"What happened, Jaime?" Brennan asked.

His big eyes stayed focused on the belt, his black hair moving in front of his eyes as he reached out to, but did not touch, the belt. "Ouch," he repeated.

Brennan blushed; she and Booth had taken a long lunch the day before, and in her excitement Brennan had flung his belt onto the couch behind her on their way to the bedroom. "Those hurt you?"

Jaime looked at her before looking back at the belt. "Snake," he said suddenly. "Mean snake."

"Hey, guys," Booth said as he came through the door with a bag of food.

"Snake!" Jaime shouted and ran off the couch.

"Woah, is he serious?"

"He calls the belt a snake. I think…someone hit him with one," she whispered.

Booth nodded solemnly. "Sounds like it was a routine thing," he commented, remembering what he had gone through as a child. "Hold on, I'll be right back." Booth made his way towards the guest room where Jaime slept and cautiously entered.

"Snake!" Jaime shouted, pointing at Boot's waist where his belt buckle glinted.

Booth unhooked his belt and put it on the floor. "No snake, pal. Just me." He sat on the bed carefully. "You know, my…" Booth choked, then pushed on. "My…dad…had a snake too." Jaime's head snapped up. "Lots of them. Mean ones. I was scared."

"Why he hurt you?" Jaime asked.

_This kid already understands too much_, Booth thought. "I don't know. I don't think he meant to. He was mad a lot."

Jaime nodded. "Uncle Andy mad a lot."

"Uncle Andy had snakes?"

Jaime nodded. "Cold."

"You cold, pal?" Booth asked, reaching for a blanket.

"No! Snake's head cold. Brrr," he said, then shivered.

"Oh," Booth replied. The buckle. "You know, there are a lot of nice snakes." Jaime's head snapped up again. "Do you want to meet a nice snake?" Jaime wrung his hands nervously, then nodded. Booth walked over and picked his belt up off the floor. He looked at it a moment before touching the buckle to Jaime's face and kissing him on the forehead. Jaime smiled and Booth did it again. This time the boy giggled. "See? Nice snake," Booth told him with a smile.

Jaime stood and wrapped his little arms around Booth's neck. "Daddy?" he asked.

"What about him?" Booth asked softly.

Jaime put his tiny finger on Booth's chest, pointing. "You my daddy?" he asked.

Booth rubbed Jaime's back. "For now. OK?"

Jaime hugged him. "Daddy."

Booth picked him up and rose from the bed. "Come on, let's go see Mommy."


	30. Paper Towels

**30-Paper Towels**

"Mr. Garrott," Booth started, pacing the interrogation room and slapping a thick file down on the table. "Do you know what these are?"

Andy Garrott looked angrily at Booth, his eyes narrowing until they looked like they belonged to a snake. "Papers," he answered.

"Oh no; they're so much more than that. You see, these are the logs of your calls to the nurse's office at your daughter's school. All the threats you made, every _word you said_, is right here," Booth told him, leaning closer and placing his palm on the file.

"None of this is any of your business," Garrott spat.

"Oh, really?" Booth flashed his badge. "I'm FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth, and I have three guns on me right now, so if it's anyone's business it's mine."

Garrott scoffed. "You don't know what it's like! Trying to raise that girl, then having your nephew dropped on your doorstep like a damn Harry Potter book. Marissa never helped out. I had to punish her, you know?"

"No, I _don't_ know."

Garrott scoffed again. "I was trying to raise Jaime, the kid was freaking crazy, always picking shit up and babbling, then Marissa would be in her room writing or some shit, and I would tell her to take Jaime out for a walk or something, but she would say no and then Jaime would cry because I was yelling…"

"And then you hit her?" Booth interrupted menacingly. Garrott winced. "You hit them both, didn't you? Didn't you?" Silence. "Then one day you hit Marissa, your _daughter_, so hard that her jaw broke and she internally bled to death!"

"They wouldn't shut up! I didn't want either of them and they never gave me a moment of damn peace!"

"Andy Garrott I am placing you under arrest for child abuse and the murder of Marissa Garrott. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you…." Booth led Garrott out in handcuffs.

He walked back to the room behind the two-way mirror and slammed his fist against the wall. "Dammit," he whispered. He then turned to face Brennan. "I wanted to beat the shit out of him, I really did. How could someone _ever_…? Well, I _know_ how someone could, but-." He cut himself off and sighed.

Brennan walked over to him and put her hands on his arms. "Why don't you go home and take a hot shower? I'll do the paperwork and bring over what I don't finish."

Booth nodded, contemplating her suggestion. "I guess so. I don't wanna stick you with all the work."

"Booth, you're upset. Go home."

He nodded. "Thanks, Bones. I love you."

"I love you too," she said before kissing him. "Booth?" she asked as he reached the door. He turned. "What does this mean for us and Jaime? What do we do?"

Booth shrugged. "Adopt him?" he suggested, as if they were picking between two brands of paper towels.

"R-really?"

Booth went over to her. "If you want to. I mean, I think he and I are getting along and James seems to like him." He chuckled and shook his head. "I love the kid."

Brennan beamed. "Me too. I…I guess I'll ask him what he wants. And we'll have to talk to James."

Booth nodded. "Of course, Bones."

Brennan kissed him again. "Now go. Take a shower. I'll call you." Booth left and Brennan almost cried with happiness. She rushed out of the Hoover and decided to take James out of school so they could talk.


	31. Jaime at Home

**31-Jaime at Home**

"Mommy!" James cried as he saw her in the school's office.

"Hi, baby." She settled him in the car and began to explain on the way home. "James, how do you feel about Jaime?"

James thought. "Jaime my friend."

"Do you like when he stays with us?" she asked. As much as she wanted to adopt Jaime, she would not go through with it if James didn't approve. If need be, she would find him another home.

"Yes!" James yelled.

Brennan's heart lurched happily. "Honey, how would you feel if Jaime came to live with us all the time?"

"Jaime stay forever?" James asked.

"Yes."

James giggled. "Jaime my brother?"

"Yes."

"Like Parker?"

"Like Parker." James and Brennan smiled.

* * *

"Look who I found!" Booth called out as he carried a laughing Jaime into the room.

"Jaime, play!" James called.

"Mommy and Daddy need to have a talk with everyone first, OK, pal?" Booth and Brennan sat both boys down with them on the couch. "Jaime, we have something to tell you," Booth started.

"I going home?" Jaime asked.

"Do you want to go home?" Booth asked. Jaime shook his head. "Would you like it if this was your home?"

Jaime paused before answering. "Yes, but-."

"But what?" Brennan asked softly.

"Uncle Andy…he will get mad."

Brennan glanced at Booth. "Uncle Andy had to go away. You won't live with him anymore."

Jaime seemed to take all this information in before leaping up and hugging Brennan around the neck. "Mommy." Brennan smiled and tried not to cry. Jaime sat back. "Home, then," he stated.

There was happy silence for a moment. "YAY!" James yelled, toppling Jaime over with his hug.

Booth and Brennan laughed and Booth pulled her to him and kissed her on the head. "He's ours, Bones," he whispered. "Ours."


	32. The Son in Question

**woahh RL was sooo busy! haha. but now the busiest part is over! yay! enjoy and please review!**

* * *

**32-The Son in Question**

"Hey sweetie, how's it goin'?" Angela asked Brennan as she walked into Brennan's office.

Brennan turned. "I'm fine, Angela. How are you?"

Angela frowned. "You don't seem fine," she told her friend, noticing the tired eyes and the drooping shoulders.

Brennan sighed. It had been two weeks since their request to adopt Jaime had gone through. "The decision on Jaime's adoption is coming through today, and I guess I'm just a little nervous."

Angela smiled. "You shouldn't have anything to worry about, Bren. You and Boothy are perfect, and that little boy loves you guys, _and_ he loves James."

Brennan nodded and sat at her desk with her hand over her stomach. "I know, it's just making me so nervous."

Angela noticed her friend's face turning a pale green color. "Bren, this isn't like you." Suddenly her eyes lit up. "Are you sure you're not…?"

Brennan's head snapped up. "No." Her chin dropped to her chest. "I don't know."

"How long have you felt like this?"

Brennan sighed. "About a week."

"Maybe you should…you know."

"No. I can't. I can't be…."

Angela walked over and put a hand on Brennan's arm. "I know that you're dealing with a lot right now, and the thought of another child scares you because it's happening kind of fast. Am I right?" Brennan looked up at Angela and nodded. "But this is good. Look, I had this friend in college that was the youngest child by ten years. Her sisters had a different dad but the same mom. Her being born was the best thing that could have happened to her family. Even though her sisters were going through a lot of changes with their new stepdad, her being born was like the glue that held the family together. Do you see what I'm saying?"

"You're saying that this baby will help Jaime and even James transition, and that it will solidify our family."

Angela smiled, proud of Brennan's growth. "Exactly sweetie. Now come on, I'll take you to the pharmacy."

"Angela, that's not necessary. I can drive myself."

Angela snorted. "Yeah, but you'll never leave the lab long enough to take yourself, so I'll go for you."

Brennan smiled, truly grateful for her friend. "Thanks, Ange," she said softly, giving her a hug.

"Anytime, sweetie."

* * *

Two hours later, in between furtive glances at the box now sitting on her desk, Booth called to tell her the decision had been made, and that they were to bring Jaime to the county office. He picked her up and they all went over to the large stone building downtown. A man in a brown tweed suit came out and greeted them, telling them he'd like to speak to Jaime alone. "Sit down, Jaime," he said as the little boy walked cautiously into the room. Jaime gripped his stuffed pug and sat in the oversized wooden chair with the leather cushion. "I like your dog. Who gave that to you?"

Jaime put his chin to his chest, then looked at the pug, then looked at the man. "My mommy."

The man leaned forward. "Dr. Brennan?" Jaime didn't answer. "The lady who brought you here?"

Jaime smiled and nodded. "Mommy," he said, as if it was obvious that Brennan was his mother.

"Did your mommy and Agent Booth ever discuss you living with them before?"

Jaime blinked, but understood what the man was asking. "Agent Booth," he said simply.

"The man you came with."

Jaime smiled. "Daddy!"

The man nodded. "Daddy. OK. So did your mommy and daddy ever discuss you living with them before?" Jaime nodded. "And what did they say?"

"They asked me if I would like it if this was home. I liked it. So then James, he hugged me, and everybody was happy." Jaime kicked his little legs in the air, swinging them back and forth. "Are you gonna take me away from them?"

"Is that what you want to happen?"

"No! I want to stay here!" His eyes welled up with tears, and the man looked to calm him.

"OK. Can you get your mommy and daddy for me?"

Jaime nodded and opened the giant door. "Mommy," he called softly. "Daddy."

Brennan glanced at Booth nervously and grabbed his hand as they made their way towards the office. Booth squeezed her hand and gave her a look that said, "It'll be OK. I'm right here." Brennan bent down and picked up the little boy. "Hello, Jaime."

"Hi, Mommy," he said, wrapping his arms around her neck. Brennan took a seat, Jaime in her lap, while Booth sat beside her.

"Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth, I'm Sam Caldwell," he told them, shaking hands with both of them. "Now," he started, sitting behind his desk, "the only 'problems,'" he said, making air quotes, "we would have with the adoption would be the fact that you aren't married, but seeing as you have been in a stable relationship for a number of years, as well as the fact that you are successfully raising a child of your own, this is not a concern. The other issue at hand is the issue of your jobs. They are highly dangerous, and although they lead to a stable income, they are high-risk, and on more than one occasion have resulted in serious injury. I understand, Agent Booth, that this is the reason you have limited visitation with your oldest son."

Booth wanted to add the fact that Rebecca was a total bitch about it and despised him on a pretty much atomic level, but he said nothing, made no movement to confirm or deny Caldwell's statement. "Look, Mr. Caldwell, Booth and I have dangerous jobs, that's true, but they've never prevented us from caring for Parker _or_ James."

"Yeah," Booth agreed. "And, God forbid, if anything ever happened to me or Bones, Hodgins and Angela would take care of the kids."

Caldwell raised an eyebrow. "Hodgins and Angela," he repeated.

Brennan nodded. "Our friends. Dr. Hodgins has considerable wealth, and they are both more than capable of caring for multiple children."

"Are your friends…married?" Booth and Brennan nodded. "Jaime, how do you feel about Dr. Hodgins and…"

"Miss Montenegro," Brennan supplied.

"Miss Montenegro?" Caldwell finished.

Jaime hid his face and Brennan kissed his head. "Do you like spending time with Uncle Jack and Aunt Angela, Jaime?" she asked. Jaime looked up at her and nodded.

"OK, well, if you could give me their information, I'll have to speak with them before I can consent to this adoption. I hope you both understand."

Booth and Brennan nodded and wrote down the information. "Absolutely ridiculous," Booth said once they were in the car. "Who does he think he is?"

Brennan put her hand on his arm. "I know. I just…we need time to think about this, and I need to talk to Angela and Hodgins. Can you drop me back at the lab?"

Booth sighed. "Sure, Bones." He pulled up at the lab and turned off the engine.

"It's OK, Booth," Brennan whispered, kissing him on the cheek. "I love you," she reminded him softly.

Booth turned and rested his forehead against hers. "I love you too, Bones. Thank you."

Brennan gathered Jaime from his car seat and carried him to her office. "Hey, Bren," Angela greeted. "So, is he son number two yet?"

Brennan sighed. "They said our jobs were too dangerous. We told them that you would take care of him if need be, and he said he needs to talk to you and Hodgins. He'll probably call you tonight or tomorrow."

Brennan started to walk away and Angela followed her. "Sweetie, are…are you OK?"

"No. I don't know. It's…it's so frustrating. Obviously Booth and I are more than capable of taking care of him, and we obviously love him." Tears escaped her eyes and she wiped them away hastily. "Stupid," she whispered.

"Oh, sweetie," Angela started, wrapping Brennan in a hug.

"I just….He doesn't need to go through what I went through. I won't let that happen to him," she said resolutely.

"I know you won't, sweetie. It'll all be OK."

"You can't know that," Brennan told her predictably.

"I can. Because Jack and I are gonna convince that guy no matter what. And if he is that stubborn, Jack will pay for his one-way ticket to Siberia."

Brennan laughed and hugged Angela back. "Thanks, Ange." Angela nodded and left Brennan to herself.

Brennan walked back to her office and picked up the box on her desk. Walking to the bathroom, she carefully opened it. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and waited.

* * *

An hour later, she was sitting in her office staring at the little white stick in her hand. She didn't know what to feel, and so thoughts were firing through her mind even faster than normal. She was so distracted she didn't even hear Booth enter her office. "Hey, Bones," he said softly. She looked up, startled. "Is that a…?" he asked, his eyes resting on her hand. Brennan nodded. Booth let out a shaky breath. "Oh."


	33. The Parent Trap

**33-The Parent Trap**

Hodgins and Angela received a phone call less than an hour after Booth and Brennan's meeting. Explaining the situation to Cam, they headed to Caldwell's office. "Come in, please," Caldwell invited as he made a sweeping gesture through his open door. "Now, do you both know why you're here?"

"Bren said…we could take care of her kid_s_," Angela started, emphasizing the s, "if anything happened to her and Booth."

"That is correct."

"OK, so, I don't really see why we're here," Hodgins interjected.

"Jack," Angela whispered harshly.

"You are here, Dr. Hodgins, so I can evaluate you and your wife." Hodgins wanted to argue, to sneer at the man, but he knew he was only ruining his friends' chances by doing that. "Now then, do you have any children of your own?" They both shook their heads. "And where do you live?"

"DC," Hodgins answered.

"And your address?"

"3800 Yuma Street Northwest," Hodgins answered.

Caldwell nodded. "Dr. Brennan told me you were wealthy."

"_That's_ an understatement," Hodgins mumbled. Angela briefly closed her eyes and prayed that Caldwell didn't hear him.

"Do you have any surviving relatives?" he asked Hodgins.

Hodgins wondered how any of these questions were relevant, and began to form yet another conspiracy theory in his mind. "No."

"I do," Angela chimed in, trying to make the situation better. Caldwell put his pen to the paper, waiting for her answer. "My father."

"And his name?"

"Billy F. Gibbons."

Caldwell snorted despite himself. "Your father's name is Billy Gibbons? That's funny."

"My father _is_ Billy Gibbons," Angela informed him stonily, sending him a death glare.

"He's got a real mean streak," Hodgins told him.

"Really?" Caldwell asked, clearly not believing Hodgins.

Hodgins leaned closer. "How do you think I got my tattoos?"

Caldwell's brow furrowed as he scribbled something else on the paper. "I see you are the godparents of Agent Booth's and Dr. Brennan's biological son." Hodgins and Angela nodded. "Although you seem more than capable of raising these children, as do Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth, I don't see how your involvement helps their case for adoption."

Hodgins got angry. "What are you saying?"

"I'm _saying_, Dr. Hodgins, that it doesn't matter how much money you have, money does not make a good parent. You are not even related to Dr. Brennan or Agent Booth."

"How does that matter?" Angela queried. "Listen, Booth and Bren are two of the most amazing people I have ever met, and I've met a lot of people. They are literally life savers. They are saving this boy's _life_. If it wasn't for them he'd be bounced from foster home to foster home, waiting for someone else to adopt him, which is stupid considering Booth and Brennan have already expressed their desire to do so. Those two have both had rough childhoods. They understand this kid. He already loves them and they love him. He's already opened himself up to them." Angela reached down to her bag and pulled out a drawing. "Look at that," she said, handing the drawing to Caldwell. It was a pencil sketch of Booth holding Jaime in Brennan's office while Brennan smiled at them and reached for the boy.

Caldwell sighed, handing the paper back to Angela. "Thank you for your time," he said, dismissing them.

They got up to leave and had reached the door when Hodgins stopped and turned. "Oh, as far as not being related?" Caldwell looked up. "Booth and Dr. B _are_ family. There's more than one type of family. That's something Booth taught me."

* * *

"Bones?" Booth asked. She had gone silent again, just staring at the test.

"Booth," she said softly.

He walked over and sat down next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "May I see?" She tilted the stick and he saw the result. "Hey, it's OK," he assured her, leaning and kissing her temple.

"I want to be happy, I do, but…I mean I _am_, but…"

"You're worried."

She nodded. "I'm worried about how this will affect Jaime. I mean, we don't even know if the adoption has been approved, and this is all very stressful. How will James deal with this? And we haven't even _told_ Parker."

"Hey, hey, hey, shh," Booth soothed, wrapping her in a hug. "Do you remember when you had that really bad morning sickness with James?" She nodded. "Well, remember how I used to tell you that when it was over we would have a beautiful baby?" She nodded again. "I know this is a little different, but, Bones, this will all be sorted out. We have nine months to prepare for this baby, and in the meantime we'll figure out what's gonna happen with Jaime."

Brennan leaned her head against his chest and nodded. "You always know what to say, Booth."

Booth tightened his hold on her. "I know _you_, Bones."

Brennan's office phone rang and she sighed as she got up. "Brennan," she answered.

"Dr. Brennan, this is Sam Caldwell. Is Agent Booth there, by any chance?"

"Yes, I'll put him on."

"Actually if you could put him on speaker that would be great. I'd like to talk to you both together." Brennan put him on speaker and indicated that they were ready. "Well, I spoke with Dr. Hodgins and Miss Montenegro today, and I feel satisfied that they would be able to sufficiently care for your children if necessary. It is also my opinion that you both would be excellent parents to Jaime, and I do not see any reason why you should not become his legal guardians."

"T-t-thank you," Booth stuttered.

"Congratulations. Goodbye." Caldwell hung up and Brennan slowly disconnected the line.

"We're…"

"Yeah, Bones," Booth whispered, a smile plastered to his face. Brennan excitedly wrapped her arms around Booth's neck. "Oh, Bones."

"I love you, Booth."

Booth chuckled. "I love you too, Bones." He bent down and lifted Brennan's shirt. "And I love you too, little baby," he said before kissing Brennan's stomach.


	34. Stuck in the Middle

**34- Stuck in the Middle**

"Do you think we should tell them now?" Brennan asked quietly as they all entered the apartment.

"About Jaime or about the baby?"

"Either. Both," Brennan answered nervously.

"I think Jaime deserves to know now. The baby news can wait. It might be too much for them to handle."

Brennan nodded and sat on the couch. "Boys, can you come sit with Mommy and Daddy for a minute?" James happily scampered over and hopped onto the couch, while Jaime ambled towards them and crawled up between them. "Jaime, do you remember the man we talked to about you coming to live with us?" Jaime nodded. "Well, he said if you wanted to, you could live her permanently."

Jaime's eyes lit up. "Mommy and Daddy?"

"That's right, Little Dude," Booth said.

Jaime sprang and hugged each of them in turn, including James, before falling with his head on Brennan's lap. "What my last name?" he asked.

Brennan thought and realized that she didn't know Jaime's last name, or his middle name, or even if he _had_ a middle name. "Well, would you like your last name to be Booth?"

"Booth," Jaime repeated.

"We can have the same one!" James yelled excitedly.

Brennan smiled. "Jaime, do you have a middle name?"

He blinked. "What that?" he asked.

"It's a name between your first and last name," Booth explained.

Jaime looked up at him through dark black curls. "What yours?"

"Well, mine is Joseph," Booth answered.

Jaime stuck his finger at Booth's chest. "I like that one."

"OK, JJ, that can be yours," Booth grinned.

* * *

"I scheduled a doctor's appointment," Brennan informed Booth as he crawled into bed that night. "It's in two days."

Booth smiled and nodded. "You know, I think this is a good thing. I mean, it would always be a good thing, but I know we were worried, but I think…he's gonna be the glue."

"Or she," Brennan said as she smiled.

"Or she," Booth conceded.

"You know, that's the same thing Angela said."

Booth smiled. "Angela and I are pretty smart people."

Brennan motioned for him to lay his head on her chest. "I'm usually very articulate, but I find I'm having trouble expressing something," she started.

Booth raised his head. "What is it, Bones?" he asked softly.

"I…I just want to tell you…I never thought I could be this happy." She was tempted to pass her very emotional state off as hormones, but she didn't. Booth's grin threatened to split his face.

He made slow circles on her stomach and laid his head back down on her chest. "I love you, Bones."

"I love you too, Booth."


	35. Pickle and Ice Cream

**35- Pickle and Ice Cream**

Booth happily walked into the Jeffersonian, excited to pick up Brennan so they could get Jaime's name changed. He glanced at the platform, but no one was up there. Next he tried her office, but although the door was open, no one was in there either. Booth glanced around and smiled. An anthropology journal lay open on the couch next to a Corduroy Bear picture book, and a dinosaur action figure was toppled over on the floor on the other side of the room.

"Oh! Hey, Studly," Angela greeted him, derailing his train of thought. Booth smiled at her. "She's in Limbo."

Booth nodded gratefully and stepped forward, wrapping Angela in a tight embrace. "Thank you, Ange," he whispered in her ear.

"Of course, Studly."

Booth smiled and sniffed, tears nearly escaping his eyes. "I'll go find Bones." He traveled down the well-known staircase and came to the double doors. He slowly pushed one of them open, giving his eyes time to adjust to the bright light. Blinking and squinting, Booth realized that he didn't see Brennan anywhere. "Bones?" He swiveled around and was just about to call her again when he choked on her name as he saw her slumped against the wall, fast asleep. He crouched down and kissed her cheek. "Bones, wake up," he whispered.

"Hmm? Oh, Booth. What…?" she started, looking around the room.

"I came in here and you were sleeping."

"I've been so tired lately," she explained as she took his hand and lifted herself off the floor.

"You wanna go to your office? Maybe work on your book?" Booth suggested.

Brennan thought, still clearing her mind from the fog of sleep. "Yes, I think that would be a productive use of my time."

Booth smiled. "You know you don't always have to be productive, Bones. It's good to relax. Especially when you're carrying our little one in there," he said, rubbing his hand over her stomach.

Brennan smiled, but was leaning heavily against Booth. Booth crouched down and scooped Brennan into his arms. "Booth, I can walk by myself."

"I know, but you're tired," Booth soothed. "Just up the stairs," he compromised.

"OK," she agreed. "But you're putting me down as soon as we get to the door."

Booth smiled. "OK, Bones," he said softly. He put her down once they had ascended the stairs and followed her to her office. "So, I guess you didn't eat yet, huh, Bones?" Brennan just blushed. "I'll get us something from the diner."

"Can I have grilled cheese?" Brennan asked.

Booth pulled her to him. "You can have anything you want, baby."

After Booth's quick trip to the diner, Brennan was enjoying her grilled cheese and Booth his burger when Angela came in holding Jaime's hand. "Look who I found," Angela sing-songed, letting Jaime's hand go.

"Mommy," he stated, and ran on little legs towards Brennan, who welcomed his hug. He then eyed the pickle in Booth's takeout container and picked it up, taking a large, experimental bite.

"Hey, you stole my pickle!" Booth teased, grabbing the boy and tickling him until he laughed and squirmed in Booth's arms. "You like pickles, Little Dude?" Jaime took another bite and swallowed before nodding.

They finished their lunch and Booth was just about to head back to his office when his phone rang. "Booth," he answered. "Yeah, yeah, it's no problem. Really. I'd be happy to, you know that. OK, I'll pick him up in about two hours. Bye." He hung up and looked at Brennan. "Captain Fantastic had an emergency, so I'm picking up Parker in a couple hours."

"Is he alright?"

"She didn't say much, just that she's taking him to the hospital. Her parents are coming for a few hours until I get there."

Brennan nodded and leaned down to Jaime. "Are you ready to meet your other brother?" she asked.

Jaime's jaw dropped. "TWO brothers?" he asked excitedly.

"Maybe three soon," Booth mumbled to Brennan.

"It could be a girl," she argued.

"Face it, Bones, I carry the Y chromosome." Brennan reached between Booth's legs and squeezed, causing him to yelp.

Brennan laughed. "I'll catch a cab home. I think you and Parker should spend some time alone first."

Booth nodded. "OK," he answered, then kissed her quickly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Booth picked Jaime up and spun him around before kissing him on the cheek. "Bye, Pickle. I love you."

"I love you, Daddy!" he shouted.

Brennan smiled and took Jaime's hand. "Come on, Little Dude, let's go get James."


	36. Expansion Pack

**36-Expansion Pack**

"Dad!" Parker yelled as he bolted from the house.

"Hey, Parks!" Booth returned, wrapping his son in a hug. "Come on, I think I want a milkshake."

"Can I have strawberry?"

"Of course!"

They took their milkshakes to go and Booth drove them to the apartment. "Parks, there are a few things I want to talk to you about, OK?"

Parker eyed his father worriedly and sank to the couch. "Is Bones OK? Is something wrong?"

Booth smiled softly and rubbed his son's leg. "No, nothing's wrong, Parker, I just think this might be a lot to handle."

Parker sat up straighter. "I can handle a lot, Dad."

Booth patted Parker's leg. "I know you can, Park. So first thing's first: Bones and I had a case about a month ago, and, well, they found a little boy at the scene. His name is Jaime." Parker nodded. "Jaime's parents…well…we don't know what happened to them. You know how Bones is a foster parent?" Parker nodded, hanging on his father's every nervous word. "Well, he stayed with us for a little bit, and Bones and I decided to adopt him. He's your brother."

Booth held his breath, and Parker launched himself into Booth's arms, grinning from ear to ear. "A new brother!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, pal. He's your new brother."

"That's good news, Dad. I don't know why you were so nervous," Parker said easily as he sat back.

Booth smiled. "There's one more thing, Park. See, about a month before Jaime showed up, Bones and I decided we wanted to have another baby. When we found Jaime, we stopped trying for a little bit, but Bones was already pregnant."

"So…I'm gonna have another little brother or sister?"

Booth smiled hesitantly. "Yeah."

"Yes!" Parker shouted, jumping up and pumping his fist. "Dad, I'm gonna play with him, and teach him stuff, and do all the stuff I did with James except I'll be better at it because I'm older."

Booth smiled. "This baby is very lucky to have you as a brother."

Parker opened his mouth to answer when the door opened and Brennan and the boys entered. "Parker!" James shouted, running to his older brother.

"Hey, buddy!" Parker gave James a hug and a kiss.

"Park, did Daddy tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Parker played along.

"About our brother!" James looked for Jaime and saw him hiding behind Brennan's leg, Brennan's hand running soothingly through his hair. "Jaime, come on!"

"J, come here," Booth said quietly. James looked at his father curiously but ran over, allowing himself to be picked up. "Come on, show me your Iron Man action figure," Booth said, walking a squirming James to his room.

"Little Dude, it's OK," Brennan assured Jaime as she continued to stroke his hair. "Parker is your big brother." Jaime whimpered and hid his face.

"Bones?" Parker asked, confused. He was used to James' undying love for him, and couldn't fathom why this new brother wouldn't like him.

"Jaime, can you go play with Daddy and James for a little bit?" Jaime nodded and ran off, making sure not to get too close to Parker.

"Bones, why doesn't he like me?" Parker asked, clearly upset.

"Before we found him, Jaime lived with his uncle. His uncle was…was very mean. When Jaime first came here, he was so afraid of your dad he cried every time your dad said anything. He might take a while to warm up to you, but he will. He adores your father now."

"But…but he likes James."

Brennan hugged Parker tight. "James is not much older than Jaime. Jaime doesn't see him as a threat." Brennan pulled back and wiped Parker's tears. "Don't worry, Parker. By the end of your stay he'll love you. He's very devoted."

Parker nodded and hugged her again. "OK, Bones." Parker sniffed. "Dad told me you're pregnant."

Brennan studied his face. "Are you OK with that?"

Parker smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

Brennan laughed and stroked Parker's hair. "Would you like to help me make dinner?" Parker nodded quickly and followed Brennan into the kitchen, where he proceeded to help her make a meal for his expanding family.


	37. Doctor, Doctor

**37-Doctor, Doctor**

"Booth, stop fidgeting. Please," Brennan added as they sat in the small plastic chairs in the waiting room.

"Sorry, Bones. Nervous."

"Why? It's not like any of this is being done to you. It's not like you have to shove out a baby in seven months!"

"Woah, Bones, chill. I just want to know that the baby's healthy and growing."

Brennan nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry. It's just…it feels like it's been a while since we've last done this."

Booth smiled and grabbed her hand. "It has been a while, Bones. James is four now." Brennan nodded.

"Dr. Brennan?" the assistant called. They stood and walked into the room. "The doctor will be with you shortly."

Brennan leaned back on the bed and Booth remained standing next to her. "I'm glad you're here, Booth."

Booth smiled. "Where else would I be, Bones?"

Brennan smiled back. "Still nervous?" Booth nodded. "Come here," she whispered, taking his hand and placing it on her stomach. He automatically began to rub circles on her skin.

The doctor walked in and greeted them both. She was average height, thin with long brown hair and glasses. Her smile was friendly, putting Booth and Brennan at ease. "Nice to meet you both. I'm Dr. Perry. How are you feeling, Dr. Brennan?"

"I'm fine. Just tired a lot."

"That's very common. Any morning sickness?"

"Rarely."

"That must be a relief. Is this your first child?"

"Second," she answered, grabbing Booth's hand. "I had horrible morning sickness with the first one."

"Boy or girl?"

"Boy."

"He's four now," Booth told the doctor. "His name's James."

Dr. Perry gave them a genuine smile. "I love that name. My parents wanted that to be my name. If I were a boy, of course," she added, giving a nervous laugh. Booth and Brennan felt totally at ease. Suddenly they heard a clicking noise and looked at the monitor to their right. "That's your baby. Not too much to see right now," she laughed. Brennan looked at Booth and reached up, putting her hand over his heart. "Everything seems to be in order here. It's too early to determine the sex, but do you have a preference?"

Booth smiled and shook his head. "No."

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Booth is confident it's a boy."

"Face it, Bones, the other two have been boys."

"So? My mother had three older brothers."

"Yeah, so this one will be the third boy and the next one will be a girl, then."

Brennan leaned on her elbows. "Oh, so you're so sure we're having another one?" she asked playfully.

Dr. Perry smiled. "You have two boys?"

Booth smiled. He could tell she was uncomfortable asking the question. "I had Parker before Bones and I met," he explained.

Dr. Perry nodded and cleaned the gel off Brennan's stomach. "I'm just going to take your blood pressure and your weight, then a quick pelvic exam."

Booth squirmed. "You can wait outside, Booth," Brennan laughed.

"No I'll…stay," he managed.

The doctor finished up the tests and declared that everything was in order and scheduled Brennan's next appointment for the next month.

"Hey Bones?" Booth asked.

"Yes, Booth?"

"You know I'll be thrilled either way, right?"

Brennan laughed. "Of course, Booth. As will I."


	38. Googling

**38-Googling**

"Caroline, I need a warrant."

"I wasn't aware you were on a case, Chérie."

"We're not, it's for Jaime."

"Oh, the cute little boy you and the good doctor adopted. You tryin' to kill me, Seeley Booth?"

"Huh? No, no. What?"

"Adoptin' that boy just made my heart melt, and you know that ain't easy. Now what's the warrant for?"

"I need his birth certificate from the hospital. I know where he was born, I just need the paper."

"Mmm, I hate to say this, Chérie, but the case is closed."

"Caroline," Booth begged.

"You know I'll do it, Booth."

"Thank you, Caroline," he responded happily.

"Uh-huh," she said, pretending to be unaffected. "Damn puppy dog eyes," she mumbled as he walked away.

* * *

"Mommy?" Jaime asked. He was sitting on Brennan's lap in the waiting room of the hospital where he was born.

"Yes, baby?" she asked as he fiddled with her cellphone.

"How come we changing my name at the hospital?"

"We're not. We're just here to get your birth certificate." Jaime nodded as if in acceptance as Booth watched the nurse look through the files for Jaime's birth certificate. Jaime had been resting against Brennan, but used his hand on her leg to push himself up when Booth arrived.

"Got it," Booth said, smiling and waving it. Jaime beamed at him. "You ready, Little Dude?" He nodded and grabbed Booth's hand in one of his own, Brennan's in the other.

* * *

"This doesn't seem too complicated," Booth remarked as he sat at their kitchen table. The boys were running around while Parker chased them, Jaime having warmed up to him quite quickly. He noticed Brennan's stare focused on the other room and turned his head.

"He's doing well," she commented.

Booth nodded. "Yeah." He wrapped his hand around her upper arm and kissed her. He continued to fill out the information, and they discovered Jaime's parents' names were Melissa and James Garrott. _Well, that explains how he got the name Jaime_, Booth thought. "Hey Bones?"

"Yes?"

"Can you bring your laptop in here?" She returned with the laptop and set it on the table. "Can you Google James and Melissa Garrott?"

She typed it in and read the first result out loud. "One stabbed at Meridian Hill Park. It's from the Washington Times." She clicked the link and a news article popped up. "Thirty-five-year-old Melissa Garrott, of Idylwood, Va., was stabbed in the stomach at approximately four a.m. in Meridian Hill Park. She was found two hours later by two runners."

Booth pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. "How long ago?"

"Two and half years."

"He wouldn't remember. What about the father?"

She Googled James Garrott and found another news article from the same newspaper. "It says here that James Garrott was also stabbed at four a.m. at Meridian Hill Park two days later!"

"He obviously knew who killed his wife," Booth whispered.

"But how?" Brennan whispered back.

"And why was Melissa stabbed in the first place?" Their eyes looked to Jaime, who was seated on the couch leaning heavily against Parker, then locked. They would find who did this.

* * *

Booth and Brennan said their goodnights to Parker and tucked James in before going into Jaime's room. "Goodnight, pal," Booth said, rubbing the boy's back and sitting down next to him on the bed.

Jaime smiled, unaware of the turmoil his parents were facing. "Night, Daddy." Brennan sat down on his other side and pulled him in for a hug. "Night, Mommy."

Brennan choked back a sob and hugged him tight. "Goodnight, sweetheart," she whispered, kissing him on the head.

Booth and Brennan walked to their bedroom and settled down in bed. "We'll find who did this to him," Booth promised.

Brennan nodded. "I know we will." Booth smiled and kissed her. One kiss turned into another and soon they were joined together, making promises no words could express.


	39. Cold Case

**gahhh i'm back! i was on vacation, but i have returned! with chapters! please review and enjoy!**

* * *

**39-Cold Case**

"I can't find much, Booth," Angela told him as she held the remote to the Angelator. "I read and reread the articles you and Bren found, but there aren't any leads that I can see. They never caught the guy."

"Yeah, but we will," Booth said from low in his throat. "I just need some extra help. Thanks, Ange."

Angela raised an eyebrow as she watched Booth walk determinedly out the door of her office.

"Hello, Angela," Cam greeted as she entered the office.

"Hey, Cam," Angela sighed. "Did you find anything?"

Cam sighed as well. "No, you?" Angela shook her head. "Was Booth here?"

"He was. He said he was going to get some help," Angela said, the inflection in her voice almost indicating a question.

Brennan joined the two women in Angela's office and immediately sat down on the couch. "Sorry, I'm just so tired. I figured I needed the exercise, though," Brennan said as she smiled up at her friends.

"Don't be sorry, Bren!" Angela assured her. "How was your doctor's appointment?"

Brennan smiled wider. "Everything's fine. Obviously the baby isn't much to look at," she laughed, "but he or she is healthy."

"And everything's alright with you?" Cam asked.

Brennan nodded once. "Just tired, as I said before."

"Have you told the boys?"

Brennan shook her head. "No. We're going to tell them in a few days at the most. Parker knows. But I'm still apprehensive about how they will react."

Angela sat down and put her hand over her friend's. "Sweetie, relax! Have you _seen_ those two together?"

"Yes, Angela, they're my sons, of course I've—oh. Well I'm still nervous." Angela was about to reply when Brennan's cell phone rang. "Brennan."

"Hey Bones. I got Agent Bowton from cold cases to help us. He's on his way over."

"OK. Thanks, Booth."

Booth smiled into the phone. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she said over an ill-concealed sigh.

"Bones," he prompted.

Brennan held her finger up to Cam and Angela, who nodded. "I'm tired, Booth. Like always," she lamented as she sat at her desk.

"I'll take Bowton to Cam's office and you lie down, OK?"

"No! Booth, I need to know this information."

"Bones, without any bodies, I-."

"No!" she cut him off. "Booth, this is our son, and I want to hear everything!"

"OK, Bones," he soothed, wishing he could reach out and hold her. "Look, Agent Bowton's coming to my office now and we'll be on our way in a few minutes. OK?"

"OK," she agreed.

"And Bones?"

"Yes, Booth?"

He could tell she wanted to get off the phone so she could do more research. "I know you don't want to rest until this is over, but tonight you're gonna lay in my lap and I'm gonna rub your back, OK?"

Brennan smiled. "Thanks, Booth."

"Of course, Bones. I'll see you soon."

* * *

Booth sent Bowton to Cam's office as he visited Brennan. "Bones?" She looked up from her computer. "Agent Bowton's here. He's in Cam's office." She nodded and stood. Taking his hand, she followed him to Cam's office.

Standing next to Cam was a tall man with brown hair that was parted on the side. He stood with delicate hands folded in front of him and smiled at the pair as they walked in. "Agent Bowton, this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. Bones, this is Agent Tom Bowton."

"Nice to meet you," Brennan smiled as she shook Bowton's hand.

"Nice to meet you as well, Dr. Brennan. And congratulations." Brennan looked dumbfounded, as did Cam. "My wife and I have four children. I know when a woman's pregnant."

Brennan scowled slightly and Booth leaned down to whisper in her ear. "He's paying you a compliment, Bones," he explained.

Brennan smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

"The attacker's jacket ripped when fled the scene. Investigators found it on the branch of a bush. We couldn't really do anything with it," Bowton explained.

"Do you still have it?" Brennan asked eagerly.

Bowton nodded. "It's in the evidence locker."

"Can you bring it to Dr. Hodgins, please?" Brennan asked.

"Um, I…" Bowton stuttered.

"Just do it, man," Booth laughed. "Believe me, they're the best," he added as he leaned in.

Bowton nodded. "Would you like to question the runners that found him?"

Booth looked at Brennan. "It's worth a shot. We can see if their stories are the same after so long. Do you have the contact information?"

Bowton nodded and handed over a stack of files. "Everything's right here."

Booth nodded. "Come on, Bones," he said as he started towards Brennan's office. "Bowton, if you could send that sample to Hodgins," Booth told him. Bowton nodded and hurried from the lab.

Booth sat on the couch and Brennan started to sit beside him before he pulled her onto his lap. "How are you feeling?"

Brennan leaned her head back. "Fine," she sighed.

Booth rubbed circles on her stomach. "And how's our little one doing?"

Brennan laughed and kissed Booth's cheek. "The baby is doing well." Suddenly her eyes popped open. "Speaking of the baby, my first trimester will be over in a couple of weeks." She smiled and leaned in. "I'll have more energy, and my sex drive will increase substantially."

"Oh, shit," Booth commented, and leaned his forehead on her shoulder.

"What is it?" Brennan asked, but Booth could only murmur a string of incoherent sounds as he had a vivid flashback to a particular time when Brennan was pregnant with James. She had climbed on his lap, straddling him in his desk chair during their lunch break and riding him until he felt like his entire body had exploded as he screamed her name. "Booth?" she asked, breaking his reverie.

"Huh?" he asked, finally lifting his head.

"Are you alright? You look like you're in pain."

Booth tried to smile but was too focused on his hard-on pressing against his suit pants. "No, Bones, I-." He cut himself off. He was going to say he was just thinking, but it was pretty obvious what he was thinking about. Besides, there was a twinkle in her eyes, a smile, that suggested that she wasn't opposed to what he was thinking about. He leaned over. He knew it would only make him harder, but then again he never did anything halfway. "I was thinking about that time when you were pregnant with James and you came to my office during lunch," he whispered. "You were incredibly horny, Bones. You closed the blinds in my office and you tugged my pants down. Shit, Bones, you climbed on top of me and you rode me right in my chair. I didn't even care if anyone heard," he said.

"How do you remember that?" she asked.

"How do I _not_ remember that? That was the first time I'd ever had sex in my office. It certainly wasn't the last," he laughed.

But she didn't smile. A predatory gleam appeared in her eyes and she took his hand, leading him out of her office. He opened his mouth to ask where they were going, but decided against it. He loved surprises.


	40. Currant Upstream

**40- Currant Upstream**

"That shouldn't happen again," Brennan said as they walked back towards the platform.

"Yeah," Booth breathed, but smiled behind her.

Brennan swiveled around and caught him smiling. "Oh don't look so smug."

Booth's smile only widened and he pushed his nose against her temple and kissed her. "I love you, Bones."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, smiling back. She started to walk away playfully but walked back towards him. "I love you too," she told him. She leaned in to speak softly in his ear. "Just to let you know, it _was_ very satisfying." Booth's smirk returned. "But we _will not_ be doing it again."

Booth just laughed and watched her walk purposefully to the platform to talk to Hodgins. _We'll see about that_, he thought, making his way over to Bowton, who had just returned.

"What do you have, Hodgins?" Brennan asked as she approached his work station.

Hodgins rose and looked at her while pointing to his computer. "There were stains on the jacket that match those of a red currant bush. The branch scratched him and drew blood, but the blood is dried, obviously, and it's mixed with the red currant juice."

Brennan nodded. "Thank you. Can you bring it to Cam to see what she can do?"

"Yeah, of course," Hodgins replied, picking up his tray and carrying it to Cam's office hurriedly.

Brennan went to her office to wait for the results, and found Booth sitting on her couch going over some files. "Booth? What are you doing here?" He raised his eyes and silently gestured to the files. "I just…never mind."

"What?" he asked.

"I…I thought you would go back to the Hoover."

Booth stood up. "Do you not want me here?"

Brennan realized he had misunderstood what she was trying to say, and he was hurt. She sighed internally. "No, I…that's not what I meant. I'm tired, and I'd like to rest." Booth looked from her to the couch, signaling that she could, indeed, lay there. "I…I can just tell you're…_edgy_."

"_Edgy_?" he asked.

"Yes. And it's making me edgy."

"Sorry, I'll…I'll go."

Brennan felt bad for hurting his feelings. _Damn these hormones_, she thought. "No!" Booth's eyebrows rose. "I want you to stay."

Booth noticed her expression and went to her. "OK. I'll stay. You lay on the couch and I'll stay over here on this chair," he told her as he led her to the couch.

"OK," Brennan said softly, allowing Booth to drape a blanket over her.

"I'll be right over here," he whispered, kissing her forehead and settling himself in a chair across from the couch. Before he got to work, he pulled out his phone.

Cam

Text me when you have something. Bones is sleeping.

-Booth

Cam smiled and tucked the phone back in her pocket.

Two hours later Booth was falling asleep in his chair just as Brennan woke up to the sound of his phone ringing.

Got it.

-Cam

Booth smiled, then noticed Brennan stir. "Hey there," he said softly.

Brennan smiled and stretched. "Hi," she said, her voice gravelly.

"Cam has something for us."

She nodded and stood up. "Booth?"

"Yeah?" he replied absently.

"I—I'm sorry. I was tired and the fact that I haven't been able to do anything on this case so far is getting to me."

Booth grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, hey, don't be sorry," he soothed. "I love you," he said into her hair.

Brennan rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you too."

They met Cam in her office, where she waiting with the results. "Hey, guys. It was difficult, but I got most of the DNA strand," Cam told them. "Hodgins matched the berries to Meridian Hill Park."

"OK, I'll run it through the FBI database," Booth said.

He checked. And rechecked. And checked again. "Cam, are you sure you can't get anything more out of this?" he asked over the phone.

"No, I'm sorry. I tried, Booth."

Booth sighed. "Yeah. Thanks, Cam. How's Bones?"

"Seeley, you need to relax. She's fine," Cam laughed. "She's in her office on her laptop."

Booth nodded. "Alright, see ya."

"Bye."

Booth hung up and dialed Brennan's office. "Brennan," she answered.

"Bones, it's me."

"What did you find?" she asked.

Booth sighed. "Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"The DNA doesn't match anything in our database."

"Then we need to get more," Brennan said resolutely.

"How? We don't even know who this person is."

"Is it close to anyone else's in the database?"

"Bones, I don't know. I need the squints."

Brennan smiled. Finally, she was helping. "We're waiting."


	41. It's Private

**41-It's Private**

"Alright, Booth, everything's set up over here," Angela said as she led him to her office. There were three computer screens set up like mirrors in a department store dressing room. "We found that the DNA closely matched that of three people in the FBI database."

"OK," Booth said. "Who are they?"

"The first one is Amanda Higgs. She's serving time at the Brockbridge Correctional Facility in Jessup for attempted murder. The second one is Julie Higgs, who lives in Baltimore and is a former CIA employee. This last one is Melody Higgs. She lives in…" Angela drew out as she clicked a few buttons, "Hollis, New Hampshire. She reported her brother, Nathan Higgs, missing three years ago. No one could find him." Booth stood silently for a few minutes. "Booth?" Angela asked.

"They're…they're sisters," he finally said.

"Yeah," Angela sighed.

"I'll get Bones. It's visiting hours."

* * *

Booth drove them down the Baltimore-Washington Parkway towards Jessup to visit Amanda Higgs. "So I've got them in order of suspectibility," Booth told Brennan.

"Sucpectibility is not a word, Booth."

Booth shook his head. "Whatever. You know what I mean. Obviously Amanda is the most suspicious considering she's in jail. Then Melody, then Julie."

"Why Melody first?"

"Bones, the woman moved all the way to New Hampshire. She's running."

"Maybe her job changed."

"Nope."

"Her husband's job changed."

"Wrong again," Booth said with a slight satisfaction.

"Family then."

Booth shook his head. "They all live down here." Brennan sighed.

Soon they were at the entrance to the facility and were buzzed through to the visiting room. Amanda came in shortly after, dressed in the requisite orange jumpsuit and her hands held by handcuffs, which were removed as she sat down across from the pair. "Miss Higgs, I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI, and this here is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution. We're here to ask you a few questions."

"Is this about my record?" she asked immediately. She was brutish-looking, with short brown hair and a face that looked like it had started to be squashed by something before she was saved.

"No. This is about your family. Can you tell us a little bit about them?"

"What is this?" she asked angrily.

"Miss Higgs, please," Brennan said, holding up her hand while reaching out. "We are conducting an investigation on a double murder, and the DNA of the murderer is similar to yours, suggesting you are siblings."

Amanda scratched her head, and Brennan didn't think she was going to talk. But, finally, she spoke. "I'm the second of four kids. My parents were Ethan and Lauren Higgs. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland. My older brother's name is Nathan, and my younger sisters' names are Julie and Melody. Julie lives in Baltimore, Melody lives in New Hampshire. Anything else?" she asked after she had given the information seemingly on one long sigh.

Booth leaned forward. "Miss Higgs, did you know that Nathan was reported missing three years ago?"

Amanda's mouth opened slightly in shock. "N-no," she responded. "Is he...? I mean, it's been a while and I don't…."

"We're looking for him now," Booth replied.

Amanda swallowed. "Why?"

"Well, because he is a murderer," Brennan stated factually. Booth resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Oh, God."

"You have no idea where he is?" Booth asked.

Amanda shook her head. "No, I—he used to come here sometimes, make sure I was doing alright. Always the protective big brother," she said as she smiled.

Booth nodded and stood, Brennan following. "Well, if you think of anything, here's my card," Booth told her.

Amanda nodded. "Thank you," she whispered. Two guards came to escort her back to her room as the partners made their way back to the SUV.

* * *

Brennan flopped down next to Booth on the couch later that night. The boys were in bed and they had both changed out of their clothes from the day. Booth had tracked down Melody Higgs' information and was taking Brennan to question Julie tomorrow. They both found it a bit difficult to look into Jaime's eyes and see no pain, no recognition, when they felt everything while investigating the case. He had no idea what was happening.

"Hey Booth."

"Yeah?" he answered, looking at her with a smile.

"The baby's bones are ossifying." Booth just nodded, squinting his eyes a bit. "Hardening," she explained.

"Yeah?" he repeated, this time in wonder.

Brennan nodded. "His or her eyes are open as well. And the ears have formed."

"Wow," Booth breathed. He bent so his head was by her stomach. "Hello, baby. I'm your daddy. What does it look like in there?" He placed his ear on her skin as if listening for a response. "Hmmm, interesting," he commented. He kissed Brennan's skin. "I love you." He straightened. "I love you, too," he said before he kissed her.

"You know the baby's genitalia have also started to form."

Booth made a disgusted face. "Aww, Bones, why'd you have to go and ruin everything?"

"Ruin?" she asked. "Would you rather our child not have genitalia, Booth?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

Brennan exhaled loudly through her nose. "You know-."

"Oh, no," Booth interrupted, holding up his hand. "No more facts."

"But-."

"Bones, no."

"Booth!" He looked at her. "I was going to say we should be able to hear the baby's heartbeat at my next doctor's appointment."

Booth smiled. "Oh. Now that I can handle." Brennan chuckled and Booth followed her to bed.


	42. HeartCarved Tombstone

**enjoy everyone! reviews much appreciated!**

* * *

**42-Heart-Carved Tombstone**

"Miss Higgs," Booth started, slapping a file down on the table. "You were a former employee for the CIA, is that right?"

"Yes," Julie Higgs answered. She had red hair and freckles, to which Booth raised an eyebrow, but Brennan assured him she was Amanda's sister.

"Why are you no longer employed with them?"

"What is this about?"

"Answer the question, Miss Higgs," Booth ground out.

"I…I didn't like it. Everything was so secretive, so…so hush-hush. It felt strange, keeping secrets from my friends, my family."

Booth's mouth twitched. He was tempted to ask if she'd ever revealed any of those secrets, but he thought that was more Hodgins' line of questioning. Instead, he chose to go a similar route he had with Amanda. "Your family. Let's talk about them."

"O—OK," Julie stuttered.

"How many sisters do you have?"

"Two."

"And how many brothers?"

"I…"

"How many, Miss Higgs? Surely you know."

Sweets stood on the opposite side of the mirror with Brennan. "Don't push it, Agent Booth." Booth reached his right hand out onto the table and clenched it in a fist, expressing his frustration at Sweets.

"Miss Higgs," Booth warned.

"You're becoming emotional, Agent Booth." Booth's first clenched harder.

"I had a brother, OK?" Julie finally said.

Booth stopped. "You _had_? You _had_ a brother?"

"Yes, he…" Julie trailed off as she started to cry. "He died."

An agent came in with some tissues. "I'm sorry for your loss, Miss Higgs. When did this happen?"

"About two years ago," she cried. "I'm sorry, it's…it's still hard for me."

Booth leaned forward. "Did you know that your brother was reported missing three years ago?"

Julie nodded. "Yes. Melody reported him."

It was Booth's turn to nod. "Uh-huh. You know, I went to visit Amanda yesterday." Julie's head shot up, her eyes locking with his. "She didn't know that Nathan was missing. I'm willing to bet she doesn't know he's dead."

"We didn't want her to know."

"Why not?"

Julie sighed. "Amanda…has kind of a bad temper." Brennan snorted behind the mirror. "We were afraid she would…do something."

Booth just nodded, not trusting himself to actually speak at that moment. He straightened the papers in front of him as he asked himself how stupid the Higgs family actually was. "Thank you," he finally managed to get out. "Oh, Miss Higgs? One more thing. Where is your brother buried?"

Julie swallowed. "Green Mount Cemetery."

"Thank you," Booth said again, and headed out as an agent came to escort Julie back to the lobby.

* * *

"_Dead_?" Angela asked.

"Yep," Booth answered, lacing his fingers together as his elbows rested on his knees.

Angela growled. "This man needs to be brought to justice. He can't be dead!"

"Ange-," Hodgins started.

"No!" she yelled, holding up her hand to silence him. "He did this to your _son_. He can't just die and get away with it!" Angela failed to hold back her tears and Booth stood up, hugging her and rubbing her back gently.

"Hey, it's OK, Ange. I would have liked to put him behind bars too, but we found out what happened. He can't hurt anybody anymore. He can't hurt our little boy."

Angela nodded and sat down next to Brennan, who rubbed her arm. "We were going to visit James and Melissa's graves tomorrow," Brennan told them.

"Yeah, you know, pay our respects," Booth added. The team just nodded and slowly dispersed when Booth and Brennan got ready to go home.

* * *

The next day, Booth and Brennan trudged through King David Memorial Gardens, where James and Melissa Garrott were buried. They had been walking for almost fifteen minutes when Brennan stopped. "There," she said softly, pointing to a large gray headstone shaped like a heart. Booth slowed, suddenly nervous as he approached. He crouched and lightly traced the names on the stone. "Hello," he started. "I just want you to know we found out what happened to you. And we're taking care of your boy. We love him very much."

To Booth's surprise, Brennan crouched down next to him. "I'm sorry he doesn't know…he doesn't remember…." She trailed off and Booth put his arm around her.

"We just want you to know we love Jaime. He has two brothers and another little one on the way," Booth continued, placing his other hand on Brennan's stomach. "We're going to take good care of him." The pair had just started to rise when Booth's phone rang. "Booth," he answered.

"Booth, it's Hodgins. I think you and Dr. B need to come see this."

"See what? Where are you?"

Hodgins swallowed. "Green Mount Cemetery."

"_What_?"

"Listen, man, we just came to-."

"Jack wanted to spit on his grave!" Angela shouted.

"Hodgins, what the hell?" Booth spat.

"Listen, listen, point is…there's no body."

"Well I'd hope not."

"No, Booth. I mean there's no body in his coffin." Booth didn't say anything. "Booth?"

"Yeah, I'm…I'm here. How do you know there's no…?" Booth swallowed. "Tell me you didn't dig up something."

"Booth, just trust me. The soil is turned. It's not right. You need to get here."

"Yeah. We're on our way. I'll call Caroline. You better be right, Hodgins."

"Trust me, I'm right."

Booth sighed and flipped his phone shut as Brennan looked at him expectantly. "Hodgins and Angela are at Green Mount. Hodgins says…Hodgins says there's no body in Nathan Higgs' grave." Brennan blinked. "He's not there, Bones. We still haven't found him."


	43. Hello, Handsome

**43-Hello, Handsome**

Booth didn't hesitate in flicking on the sirens as they rushed over to Green Mount Cemetery. Jumping from the car, Booth found it off-putting that there was no crime scene tape for them to step under. He ran forward, Brennan walking behind him. "What happened?" he asked when they were all gathered around the grave. He was glad Cam had showed up too.

"The soil is turned, dude," Hodgins said as he crouched down. "This happened about…six days ago."

"Where could he have gone?" Angela asked.

"The FBI's checking all the cemeteries in a fifty-mile radius for any signs of tampering," Booth replied.

"I can analyze this, see if I can come up with any traces of clothing or something from the shoes."

Booth nodded. "The techs will be here in a few minutes."

"So what now?" Cam asked.

"We wait," Booth replied.

* * *

An hour later the team was back at the lab. Hodgins was analyzing the soil with Cam looking on in case any strange chemical compositions appeared. When Brennan began to again get stressed out about how little she could help so far, Booth suggested that she pick the boys up from school and bring them back to the lab. And so, as Hodgins and Cam hunched over computer screens and microscopes, Brennan sat on the couch reading to her boys. "Please don't go," she read. "We'll eat you up."

"We love you so," Booth finished as he stood in the doorway of the office, ankles crossed and hands in his pockets as he leaned against the door frame.

"Daddy!" James cried, scampering to him and waiting to be picked up. Jaime ambled after his older brother and Booth scooped them off the floor, one in each arm.

"Hey, buddy. Hey, Pickle," he said as he greeted them both with kisses. He sat down next to Brennan and James moved over onto Brennan's lap. "Be careful, pal," Booth told him.

James kneeled on Brennan's thighs, and she put her hand on his knee to stop him from hitting her stomach. "Why don't you go tell Aunt Angela about your day, sweetheart?" Booth and Brennan had agreed that they would tell the boys separately since they were worried about how Jaime would react to the change.

"Little Dude?" James asked, pointing at his brother.

"Little Dude's gonna stay here and wait for Aunt Cam, OK?" Booth told him. James nodded and took off. "Don't run!" Booth called after him. He settled himself on the couch to Jaime's left and glanced at Brennan.

"Mommy and Daddy have something very special to tell you, OK?" Brennan started. Jaime looked up at her curiously. "How would you feel if you had a little brother or sister?" Brennan held her breath as Jaime's wide eyes stared at her.

He sat motionless, contemplating the implications of what his mother was saying. Never before had he been a role model or someone to look up to, but that was exactly what was about to happen. He knew that he most definitely would have a younger sibling; he knew that when an adult asked how he would feel about something, that something was already in motion. It was just courtesy.

Of course, Jaime wasn't thinking those exact thoughts in that exact way, but he understood the general concept of Brennan's question. _How are you going to handle this?_ _What will you do when this happens?_ Now _they_ were two questions he knew how to act on. He had chosen not to cry in front of his uncle when his uncle whipped him with his belt. He had sat in his closet, crying and shaking, after it happened. So how would he handle having a younger sibling? What would he do?

He blinked. The only older child he'd ever had any sort of sibling-esque relationship was his older cousin. She spent most of her time hiding him underneath the sink or, once, in the oven. But he knew his mother and father would never harm him or his brothers, so he didn't think they would harm the baby. Finally, he spoke up. "I don't know how."

"It's OK if you don't know how to feel, buddy. It's big news," Booth said, rubbing the boy's back.

"No," Jaime replied. "How…how do I be a big brother?"

Booth leaned forward. "Well, what do Parker and James do with you?"

Jaime smiled. "They play with me!"

Booth nodded and smiled. "Yep. And they teach you things?" Jaime nodded vigorously. "And they protect you?" He nodded again. "Well, that's what you're gonna do for this baby."

Jaime put his palm over his mouth, then removed it. "OK! I play now?"

"Yes, you can play now," Brennan told him. "Can you ask James to come see us?" The little boy nodded and scampered off.

* * *

"That went very well earlier," Brennan commented as they laid in the bed that night.

Booth smirked and turned his head to look at her. "I enjoyed myself."

Brennan sighed in exasperation. "I'm _talking_ about telling the boys about the baby."

"Oh. Yeah, they seemed to take it pretty well."

"It's quite a relief."

"Yeah," Booth said happily. He turned and placed his hand over Brennan's stomach. "How is our little one?"

Brennan smiled and stretched. "Just fine." She smiled again as she looked at Booth, and Booth noticed something almost a bit wicked in her expression. "Have I ever told you how handsome you are?" she asked as she shifted closer and straddled him.

"Mm," Booth whimpered. "You've definitely mentioned how well-structured I am a few times," he murmured.

Brennan hummed and placed open-mouthed kisses on his neck. "But have I ever told you…in laymen's terms?"

Booth struggled to think as he briefly closed his eyes and arched under her touch. "I believe just a few days ago your words were, 'God, Booth, you're so fucking hot,'" he informed her laughingly.

She chuckled and he instantly grew harder. He remembered her whispering the words in his ear. _He was sitting almost straight up, his abdominal muscles quivering with every thrust of her body as she rode him hard and fast_. She moved to place sucking kisses on his bare chest and he couldn't hold back a moan. "Oh, Bones, you feel so good."

"And you're not even inside of me yet."

Booth groaned; her hormones were making her say the most arousing things, and he knew she wasn't even getting started. Once they were actually together, she'd be spewing stuff he'd never even dreamed of. "Fuck, I'm gonna have to be soon," he admitted as her lips moved lower.

"Not yet," she teased.

"Bones, please. Let me please you," he begged.

"Soon," she promised in a whisper.

Booth moaned and his head thrashed back and forth on his pillow. Brennan's knee brushed against his erection and he bucked fiercely. "Bones," he panted. "Please. Please please please please plea-," he begged until she finally slid down onto him. He sighed in relief, but wasn't about to lay back and let her do all the work. He grabbed her hips and thrust up into her, his jaw clenched as she cried out.

As they both neared their ends, Booth's short moans became more and more drawn out and Brennan's cries became breathier as she panted above him. He stroked her skin, coaxing her to come apart. Her nails dug into his chest as she rode him as hard as she could, desperate for release. "Oh. Bones. I'm," Booth panted out before he gave in to his body's demands for relief.

The feeling of Booth spilling into her and the sounds of his satisfaction led Brennan to finally shatter above him, collapsing in satisfaction onto Booth's chest. "Bones, that was," Booth started shakily as he rolled them so she was on her back and his arm was thrown across her middle above her new baby bump.

"I know," she said, still coming down from her high. She looked at him and he noticed her eyes sparkling. "I love you, Booth."

Booth grinned widely and kissed her tenderly. "I love you too, Bones." He bent over and kissed her stomach. "And I love you too, little one." Booth flopped back and they both fell soundly into sleep.


	44. The New Hampshire Nine

**44-The New Hampshire Nine**

"OK, so, there's no proof of this scientifically, but I think I know where he is."

"Who?" Angela asked.

"Nathan Higgs!" Jack replied excitedly.

"Oh. Oh my gosh! Where?"

"I think he's in New Hampshire."

"Hodgie, are you going with your gut?" Angela asked.

"Oh, God, the world must be ending. I'll call my lawyer," Booth joked as he walked onto the platform. "Where's Bones?"

"Shes-," Hodgins started, but cut himself off as his monitor beeped. "Wait." He walked quickly to the screen and noticed traces of a specific plant. "The traces are small, almost undetectable to anyone else." Angela and Booth rolled their eyes. "This," he said excitedly, pointing to a picture he'd pulled up, "is _Arisaema triphyllum_." He received blank stares in response. "Jack-in-the-Pulpit," he explained. Angela nodded, but Booth kept his frown. "It's native to Maine, Vermont…and New Hampshire."

Booth connected the dots immediately. "All I need to know. Thanks, Hodgins!" he called as he ran to Brennan's office.

"King of the Lab!" Hodgins cried. Angela just stared at him and shook her head before walking to her office. "Angie?" He sighed. "Whatever."

"Bones!"

Brennan jumped from her chair. "Booth, you startled me."

Booth approached her slowly. "Sorry, baby," he said softly. "Hodgins found a plant in the dirt native to New England. I'm thinkin' we need to check out Melody Higgs' place."

Hodgins and Angela agreed to watch the boys so Brennan and Booth could drive to New Hampshire. Luckily it was only about noon, so they could make it there by ten or eleven considering Booth definitely wasn't letting Brennan forego any meals.

"Booth, we should have taken my car. The GPS is voice-activated," Brennan commented as she watched Booth growl in frustration as his finger again hit the wrong letter as he tried to type in Melody Higgs' address.

"That little thing? Do you know how uncomfortable that would be?" he commented distractedly. Finally, Brennan grabbed the GPS and typed in the address for him. "Thank you," he said stiffly as he snatched it from her.

"Booth, are you experiencing Couvade Syndrome?" Brennan laughed.

"What?" Booth asked as he pulled out of the parking space and put the car in drive.

"Many men experience it, Booth. No need to be ashamed."

"I don't even know what it is."

"It's where men experience the same symptoms as their pregnant partners."

"Bones! I am not behaving like a pregnant woman!"

"OK, Booth, I'm sorry. You're right."

Booth realized what she was doing and glared at her. "Don't even start, Bones. It's a nine-hour drive." A moment later, Brennan hesitantly laid her hand on Booth's arm. Another moment later, Booth covered her hand with his and smiled at her.


	45. Pearly Gates Sandwich

**45-Pearly Gates Sandwich**

The next morning, Booth and Brennan woke early to get ready to go to Melody Higgs' house. The closest hotel they could find was an inn in Groton, Massachusetts, but fortunately it was only twenty minutes away from the town where Melody Higgs lived. "Booth?" Brennan asked once they were cruising on Route 111.

"What's up, Bones?"

"I…I have a doctor's appointment next week."

Booth smiled, yet furrowed his brows at the same time. "We'll be back in time, Bones. And if not, which, I mean, I'm sure we will be…what—what is this all about?" he stumbled as he went through a traffic circle.

"I just wondered if…if you wanted to know the sex of the baby. Dr. Perry could tell us if…if you wanted."

Booth pulled onto Melody Higgs' street and stopped the car. "Is that what you want?"

"I…yes," she finally admitted. "I believe it is."

"Then that's what I want too." With a grin, Booth started the car again and pulled up outside Melody Higgs' house.

* * *

"You boys hungry?" Hodgins asked the boys, who were pretending to joust in the living room while Angela videotaped them.

"Yes!" James shouted, while Jaime nodded.

"OK, what would you two Knights of the Round Table like?" Hodgins asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Mac and cheese!" they both shouted.

They continued playing until the meal was ready, but their excitement vanished as they looked in their bowls. "What's wrong, guys?"

"This doesn't look good," Jaime said frankly.

"What are you guys talking about? It's the cheesiest!" Hodgins cried, referring to the slogan on the box.

"Mommy makes it different," James chimed in.

Hodgins sighed. Angela sensed his mounting frustration and the spreading bruise on his ego and stepped in. "How about I make you boys my famous Pearly Gates Sandwich?" she suggested. The boys nodded and James hugged his little brother, who looked like he was about to cry.

"Hey, how about you guys check on my white flies with me while Aunt Angela makes lunch?" Hodgins said. James nodded and pulled a slightly moping Jaime with him.

* * *

Booth knocked on the door and waited with his fingers laced in front of him. When no one answered, Brennan hunched down and looked through the window blinds. "Excuse me?" a man called out as a car door slammed by the curb. Brennan wondered if she should stay by the window or move towards Booth, who spun slowly to face the man who was striding half hesitantly, half determinedly towards the house. "Do you need something?"

Booth stepped from the pillared patio and met the man in the driveway. "Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI," he said, flashing his badge. "This is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution in Washington, DC. We're here for Melody Higgs."

"Oh. Is something wrong?"

"I don't know, is it?" Booth asked.

The man swallowed but hardened his gaze. Brennan had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm Mike Frost, Melody's neighbor. I'm supposed to check on the house every day while she's away."

"Away?" Brennan asked.

"When will she be back?" Booth put in.

"Tonight, actually," Frost answered. "She went to Florida to visit a friend. Her flight gets in at seven."

Booth nodded. "And where do you live?"

Frost pointed. "Right there, number 151," he said, pointing to the house across the street.

"Alright, thanks. Uh, why don't you give me a call when she gets home?" Booth suggested, handing Frost his card. Frost nodded and saw in Booth's eyes that he was dismissed.

* * *

Booth and Brennan, having nothing else to do, went out to dinner, and had returned just in time to hear the video conference line ringing. "Hey, Ange," she said automatically.

"Mommy!" the boys shouted.

"Hi, Bren," Angela replied.

"Boys!" Booth said excitedly.

"Daddy!" they shouted.

"How's Uncle Jack and Aunt Angela's?"

"We jousted!" James shouted.

"Very cool," Booth responded.

Brennan smiled, but noticed Jaime was even quieter than usual. "Little Dude, what's wrong?"

"I…" he started, then sighed. "Mommy," he said in a conspiratorial whisper, "Uncle Jack made us mac and cheese and…it wasn't good."

"Oh?" Brennan said.

"It wasn't like yours, Mommy," James stated.

"Can you let me talk to Uncle Jack, please?" They nodded and called for him.

"Hey, Dr. B."

"Hello, Dr. Hodgins. What are the boys talking about? Something about the mac and cheese?"

Hodgins sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I made them Kraft! You know, the cheesiest!" Brennan just stared.

"Bones doesn't make that stuff," Booth supplied.

Hodgins' eyes darted from Booth to Brennan. "Oh, geez, sorry, guys. Do you make something organic? I can go get it…"

Booth's laughed interrupted him. "No, Hodgins. Bones makes a special recipe."

"A chef friend gave it to me. It's rather delicious. That's what the boys are used to."

"Sorry, man," Booth added.

"That's OK. Ange made them her famous Pearly Gates Sandwich."

"Pearly Gates Sandwich?" Booth asked.

"Mmm, I haven't had one of those in a few years," Brennan commented.

"_What_ is a Pearly Gates Sandwich?"

Hodgins laughed. "It's peanut butter, bananas, and potato chips."

Booth thought for a second. "That actually doesn't sound too bad."

"It's excellent," Brennan told him.

Booth was about to say something else when his phone rang. Hodgins put the boys back on the videoconference as Booth stepped away. "Booth," he answered.

"Agent Booth? This is Mike Frost."

"What can I do for you, Mr. Frost?"

* * *

"And then we jousted, Mommy! And Aunt Angela taped us so then you can watch us later when you get home!" James shouted.

"I'll watch it the minute we get back," Brennan promised.

"Mommy when you come home?" Jaime asked. He was still a little upset.

"I don't know for sure, honey. Soon, OK?" Jaime nodded, but she could see he wasn't convinced. She heard Booth hang up the phone and knew she had to cut the conversation short. "Daddy and I have to go, OK?"

"OK," James said.

"Be good. We love you."

"Bye, J. Bye, Little Dude," Booth called.

"Bye, Mommy! Bye, Daddy! Love you!" James shouted.

"We love you too, baby. Goodbye, Jaime."

"Bye," he said quietly before they were disconnected.

* * *

For the second time that day, Booth and Brennan knocked on the door of house number 150. "May I help you?" the woman asked as she opened the door. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a soft voice.

"Are you Melody Higgs?" Booth asked.

"Yes," she answered. She reminded Brennan of a scared mouse.

Booth flashed his badge. "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth of the FBI, and this is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian Institution in Washington, DC."

"Oh. Oh my gosh, is something wrong?" she asked.

"We'd like to ask you a few questions about your brother, Nathan," Brennan told her.

Something flashed through her eyes. Anger. Fear. Booth had to resist licking his lips. "Please, come in," she offered, almost vacantly.

"We understand that you reported your brother missing three years ago," Booth said.

"Yes, I did," Melody answered. "I hadn't heard from him in days. Since I lived out of state, he used to call me every day or every other day. When he didn't call for a few days I…well…you know."

"How often do you visit your brother's grave?" Brennan asked. Booth slapped a hand over his eyes. "What? Visiting the grave of a loved one is the culturally acceptable thing to do. You told me so yourself, Booth."

Melody didn't know whether to laugh or arm herself with a kitchen knife. "I try to go a few times a year," she answered.

"And when was the last time you were there?" Booth asked.

"Um, I was there on Thursday. I'm sorry but why are you asking me these things?"

Brennan leaned over and whispered in Booth's ear. "Hodgins said the soil was turned six days ago; that was two days ago." Booth nodded. Today was Friday, meaning that Thursday was eight days ago.

"Miss Higgs, do you mind if we have a look around?" Booth asked. Actually, it didn't matter whether she minded or not; he had a warrant.

"N—no. Not at all," she answered, slightly sweeping her arm as if inviting them to search their home.

They searched everything in plain sight, but found nothing. No blood, no dirt, no nothing. After an hour of futile efforts, Booth sighed and nodded to Brennan. "We're sorry to trouble you, Miss Higgs."

She smiled. "It's no problem. Have a safe trip."

Once on the highway, Booth turned to Brennan. "It's not right, Bones. She was there the day the body was taken. I know she did it."

Brennan leaned her head back. "Booth, there's no evidence," she said apologetically.

"But it can't be a coincidence! It just can't!"

"Booth, I know you want to find who did this; I do too. But we can't just arrest someone to make ourselves feel better. Especially when the real criminal is still out there."

Booth smiled. "You're right, Bones."

Before the discussion could go any further, Brennan's phone rang. "Brennan," she answered.

"Hey, it's Angela."

Brennan turned to Booth. "It's Angela," she said before putting it on speaker. "You're on speaker, Ange."

"OK. So I know that you guys got a warrant to search the house, and I thought you should know that the house was remodeled in 2006."

"Yeah great, Angela. We really noticed the new furniture when we searched the house 15 minutes ago."

"Oh," Angela said.

"Sorry, Ange, I didn't mean to snap," Booth apologized.

"No, it's not that….You already searched the house," she said, disappointed.

"Yes, why?" Brennan asked.

"Is the warrant still good?"

"Angela, what's going on?" Booth asked.

"Part of the remodeling included a new fireplace."

"Oh," Booth realized. "We're turning around. Thanks, Ange."

"No problem," she replied, then hung up.

"Booth, what are you doing?" Brennan finally said.

"I knew it wasn't a coincidence."


	46. The U

**hi everyone! i hope you're enjoying the story so far! please, please, please review! =D**

* * *

**46-The U**

Booth knocked again, but this time there was no answer. "Miss Higgs?" Booth called. "It's Agent Booth."

"And Dr. Brennan," Brennan added.

"Thanks, Bones, I'm sure she'll feel reassured."

"It's not my fault she's not opening the door."

Booth knocked again, harder this time. "Miss Higgs, open up or I'm kicking this door down." The local backup he had called for moved closer. "I'm not asking again," he threatened when there was still no answer. "Back up, Bones," he instructed, but she already moved away. The thought that she loved when he did this flitted through his mind before he kicked the door in.

"What's going on? What are you doing?" Melody cried.

"Searching your home," Booth supplied.

"You already did that!" she yelled.

Booth paid her no mind. "Start with the fireplace," he told the FBI squad that had formed. Techs and agents alike took hammers and even the odd crowbar to the fireplace, removing the stone and the glass that covered the front.

"Stop!" Melody cried. "I just got that done! What are you doing?"

"Oh my God!" one of the agents called.

"That's gross, man," another agent commented.

"OK, everyone move back!" Booth called, the smell of decayed flesh already wafting over to him. "Bones," he said, conveying in a nod that she would take a look while he made sure Melody Higgs didn't run.

Brennan quickly had all the agents and techs moved back as she examined the body. "Male, Caucasian, about thirty-five years of age. Rate of decomposition puts death at about three years ago."

"So is it Higgs?" Booth asked from his place by the end of the stairs.

"I'll have to do further examinations at the lab."

"Lynnes!" Booth called to one of the agents.

"Yes, sir?" he answered. He was tall and skinny with mop-like brown hair and worn, weathered hands.

"You got a lab we can use?"

"Yes, sir."

Booth nodded. "Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones?"

"There's obvious damage to the bones. Like he was trampled."

"OK, everyone, let's get the samples bagged and labeled! Dr. Brennan will supervise." Booth pulled out his handcuffs and grabbed Melody Higgs' wrist in a vice-like grip before her fist could connect with his face. "I'm adding assaulting a federal agent to your charges," he said before he read her her rights.

Brennan had called the lab to let everyone know that they'd be videochatting to compare evidence. "I need Angela," Brennan said as they worked in the FBI lab in Boston, which was the closest one to New Hampshire.

"What's goin' on, sweetie?" Angela asked as she answered Brennan's call.

Brennan smiled as she saw her friend. "I need you to look at some pictures I just sent you. I think the victim was trampled."

Angela nodded. "Sure thing. How is it up there?"

"Fine," Brennan sighed. "The suspect tried to punch Booth, but he stopped her."

"Brennan, you have one sexy boyfriend." Brennan furrowed her brow and Angela laughed. "Hmmm, it looks like a U-shaped imprint."

Brennan nodded once. "I thought so as well. I sent some particulates that I found to Hodgins, they should be there soon."

"Thanks, sweetie. I'll work on this for you and give you a list of possible weapons." Brennan heard noises in the background. "Hey, is Booth there?"

Brennan looked to her right. "Yes, he just walked in, why?"

Angela smiled and moved aside as two very excited boys climbed into Angela's rolling chair, causing it to turn away from the computer before they righted it. "Mommy!" James cried, his face taking up most of the screen.

"Mommy," Jaime said, nudging his brother out of the way.

"Hi, boys."

"Where Daddy?" Jaime asked.

Booth appeared next to Brennan. "Right here, buddy."

"Daddy, Uncle Jack showed us _flies_," James said.

"Did he now?" Booth asked, shaking his head.

"Booth, they should really take a nap," Brennan told him.

"Aw, come on, Bones! Let them talk."

Luckily, Angela had been standing just in her doorway, and swooped in just as Jaime yawned. "Come on, little ones, time for bed," she said as she scooped them up. "Say bye to Mommy and Daddy."

"Bye-bye," Jaime said as he waved tiredly and rested his head on Angela's chest.

"Bye, Mommy. Bye, Daddy," James groused.

"James, be nice," Booth told him, knowing he was about to blame his brother for their conversation getting cut short. James just stared as the screen went dark.

"He's very much like you," Brennan said as she smiled at Booth.

"Why do I get the feeling that's not a good thing?" Booth asked as he grinned and leaned in so their foreheads almost touched.

"I never said it wasn't."

"You should know that I was a _very_ precocious boy."

She laughed. "I don't think that's changed much," she said softly as he nipped at her earlobe.

"I thought you said you preferred good boys," he replied with fake disappointment.

She pulled him down so her lips were at his ear. "I lied."


	47. Lady and the Tramp

**ok so thank you so much to everyone who has favorited me and the story! i really appreciate it! since i know a lot of people have been adding this story lately, if you could be so kind as to leave even the tiniest review, that would pretty much make my day lol. thank you and enjoy!**

* * *

**47-Lady and the Tramp**

"Brennan," she answered.

"Hey, Dr. B, it's Hodgins." Brennan snuck away from the bed, trying not to wake Booth with her phone call. "Higgins had traces of copper and magnesium in his hair."

Brennan rubbed her eyes. "What's made of copper and magnesium?" she asked as Booth walked up behind her and tiredly started to kiss her neck.

"Well, you said the victim was trampled, and I remembered that some specialized horseshoes are made with a variety of materials, those being included."

"Did you learn that when you were on the polo team, Hodgins?" Booth teased.

Hodgins scowled. "I've never played polo…except for once at my family reunion. And that's all I'll say on the matter."

Brennan shoed Booth away as she tried to put together what Hodgins was saying. "Hodgins, what do horseshoes have to do with anything?"

"Angela said that the house had a barn a couple hundred yards away."

Booth had returned to put the phone on speaker. "Hodgins, that isn't enough. We need something connecting Melody to the body and the horses."

Hodgins frowned and took a deep breath. "Let me call you back. Just…just stay in New Hampshire alright? I'll find something."

Booth rubbed Brennan's stomach, his fingers curling, caressing their unborn child as best he could. "We know you will, Hodgins."

"Booth?" Brennan said after she had hung up.

Booth had his chin on her shoulder and was staring down at her stomach, picturing their baby in his mind. "Yeah?"

She turned and saw that his eyes were light and his smile big. She was overcome with love and gratitude for him. "My doctor's appointment is in two days."

He turned towards her and kissed her on the cheek. "It'll be fine, Bones. Hodgins will find something."

She put her hand on his cheek. "You have incredible faith."

"He's a squint, Bones," Booth said, suggesting that this was the reason he had so much faith.

Brennan smiled. "Do you still think the baby is a boy?"

"Hmm," Booth sighed, closing his eyes and laying his hand flat on her stomach.

"You're taking too long!" Brennan laughed.

"Well I know your prediction," Booth countered.

"No, now I think it's a boy."

"What? Why?"

Brennan laughed again. "Because I've been carrying low, and my cravings are almost the same as they were when I was pregnant with James."

"Aha! _Almost_ the same, but not _exactly_ the same."

Brennan furrowed her brow. "They're two different people, Booth. The cravings aren't going to be exactly the same."

"Noooo," Booth drew out, "we're not supposed to agree!"

"What? Why not?"

"_Because_, Bones, we're supposed to _bicker_."

"Would you rather we fight about everything?" she asked with a smile.

Booth smiled back, then his eyes turned dark. "No, but it makes me really hot when we do."

Brennan smiled into their kiss, but broke away when her phone rang. Booth groaned and laid his head on her shoulder. She played with the hairs on the back of his neck to placate him. "Brennan," she answered.

"Dr. B, it's me," Hodgins said over the phone. "I found something." She put the phone on speaker.

"That was fast," Booth commented.

"King of the-."

"Hodgins," Booth interrupted.

Hodgins sighed. "I found traces of gravel inside the horseshoe material."

"She was using gravel for her barn?" Booth asked.

"It appears that way. This is pea gravel; it's mostly used in driveways and aquariums. It's made of small, rounded stones. I can send you a picture so you can be sure."

"Thank you, Hodgins," she said before she hung up and waited for the picture to download while Booth called Caroline for another warrant.

* * *

And so they drove again to Melody Higgs' house, hoping that this was the last of it and that afterwards they could go home. Booth drove them a mile to the barn outside the house, and Brennan saw there was only one horse inside. She made a clicking noise and the horse swished its tail and looked over to her. Gravel crunched under its hooves as it stamped. "Pea gravel," Brennan whispered.

"Bones, you don't have to—FREEZE, FBI!" he shouted, spinning and pointing his gun at the presence behind him. The horse whinnied and Brennan tried to calm it. The man Booth held at gunpoint was wild-eyed with fear. "Who are you?"

"K-K-Kurt McWilliam," he stammered. "I take care of Melody's horse." Booth frisked him, finding his wallet and checking his ID in the process, nodding when he was satisfied. "This here is Basil Girl. She's been down lately, not eating much," he told them, holding out a carrot, which the horse refused.

"Mr. McWilliam, I need to check the horse's shoes."

Kurt nodded vigorously. "Sure," he said, still a little bit afraid. "Can I ask what's going on here?" he continued timidly.

"We think this horse trampled a corpse," Brennan answered as she checked the horse's shoes.

"That would explain why she's been so jumpy."

"Do you know anything about Melody and her brother, Nathan?"

"Nathan? No, Melody didn't have a brother. At least not that I knew of."

"I'll bring this to Hodgins," Brennan interrupted. "I have everything I need."

* * *

Hodgins confirmed the gravel and the horseshoes, and they were off to return to DC.

"So let me get this straight," Angela said as she held up her hand. They were all gathered in the lounge above the platform, talking over the case. "Nathan Higgs dies, then randomly Melody Higgs digs up his body and gets her horse to trample it before hiding it behind her relatively new fireplace?"

Booth sighed. "Yep."

"Well, she broke," Sweets added. The rest of them just stared. "She found out what happened to her brother and felt guilty for him. So she hid him so no one would be able to scorn him."

"So why trample him?" Cam asked.

Sweets shrugged. "Reduce the chance of identification."

"So how did _he_ die?" Hodgins asked.

"That we don't know," Booth answered.

"We _could've_ known if she didn't have the horse trample him," Brennan said, aggravated.

Booth ran his fingertips down her back. "It's OK."

"No it's not!" she said, fury in her eyes.

"Bones," Booth said.

"No! I can still find out what happened!"

"Bones, sit down," he said, lightly taking her arm.

"Stop!" she said, wrenching it away.

"Bones, please," Booth choked, and the team was surprised to hear his voice so thick and sad. She turned her head to look at him, shocked by his glistening eyes. "I swear I will look him up on the database first thing tomorrow. I'll do it tonight if you want me to."

Brennan shook her head. "No. I want to go home now." Booth nodded. Her emotions were all over the place. He led her down the stairs and to the SUV.

That night, they lay in bed together, Brennan on her back against Booth's chest. Booth's long fingers stroked her stomach. "Tomorrow, Bones," he said softly. "Tomorrow we find out if our little one's a boy or a girl."

Brennan held his other hand in hers. "I can't wait."


	48. Ashers to Ashers

**OK, just like with my other story (The Sidwell Mystery), I am so sorry it has taken forever to update this. RL has been insane this past year or so, and I am truly sorry. I hope you all enjoy this one!**

* * *

**48-Ashers to Ashers**

Booth's palm tapped incessantly against the steering wheel. At first he was tapping along with the song on the radio, but now he was just _tapping_, a rapid _thunk thunk thunk thunk_ against the wheel. Finally, Brennan reached out and took his hand, holding it in both of hers and toying with his fingers. Booth smiled sheepishly.

Sitting in the waiting room, Booth clenched and unclenched his fist in anticipation. Brennan rubbed his arm and he smiled at her again. "Dr. Brennan?" the assistant called. The partners stood up and followed the woman to the exam room. "Dr. Perry will be with you shortly," she said before closing the door behind her.

They stayed silent until the doctor walked in, too consumed with their own thoughts and feelings to utter a single word. "Hello, Dr. Brennan," Dr. Perry said, smiling and approaching the couple. "How are you feeling?"

Brennan smiled. "Just fine. We can find out the sex today, right?" she asked eagerly. Booth chuckled.

"Most likely. Let me just get you all set up." Dr. Perry spoke with the couple and set up the screen so it was facing them. "OK, here we go," she said as she moved the wand around on Brennan's stomach. They heard the heartbeat and saw a tiny body appear.

"Oh, Bones," Booth sighed. Brennan reached out and stroked the screen with a finger while Dr. Perry smiled.

"Your baby is practicing breathing now," she informed them.

"Wow," Booth breathed.

"Are you ready to know the sex?" Booth looked at Brennan to make sure she hadn't changed her mind, and she met his eyes and nodded vigorously. "OK then," she said, moving the wand around a little more. "Congratulations," she finally said, "you're having a boy."

Brennan sniffed as tears raced their way down her cheeks. "A boy," she sighed, unable to take her eyes off the screen. "He's about the length of a hockey stick's blade," she told Booth.

Booth smiled, touched that she explained something scientific in terms he could so easily relate to. "A son," he whispered, completely in awe at the moving figure in front of him. "My son."

* * *

"OH MY GOD!" Angela screamed, clapping her hands together in excitement. Booth and Brennan smiled.

"Have you guys thought of any names?" Cam asked.

Brennan looked at Booth. "We have some in mind."

"We're gonna wait until we see what he looks like. You know, see which name fits him best."

"I always wanted my son to have a really _off-beat_ name…like Cayden."

"Cayden?" Hodgins asked.

"Yeah. Or _Finn_."

"Finn?!" Hodgins exclaimed. "Angie, I think we need to talk."

Booth laughed, partly because he liked seeing Hodgins get all worked up about something that wasn't a conspiracy theory, and partly to lighten the mood. "Bones and I will probably go the more traditional route."

"Suit yourselves," Angela sing-songed. "That just means I get Asher all to myself," she added as she sauntered away.

Jack scampered after her. "Asher?!"

* * *

James and Parker had been ecstatic at the news that the new baby was to be their little brother, but Jaime was much more apprehensive. Brennan told Booth she would sit with their youngest child in his bedroom while Booth entertained the other two in the living room. Brennan sat next to her son on the bed as she had no room on her ever-shrinking lap. "Jaime, can you tell Mommy what's bothering you?" Brennan asked as she put her hand on his back.

"You and Daddy said I could play with the baby, right?" he asked.

"Of course, honey. You just have to be very careful because he's going to be very tiny at first." At this, Jaime started to bawl loudly. "Oh, honey, what's wrong?" Brennan asked, pulling Jaime to her and wrapping him in a hug. His tears soaked through her shirt and were cold on her skin.

"The…baby…isn't," he hiccupped.

Brennan waited, but Jaime said no more. "The baby isn't what, sweetheart?"

Jaime sucked in multiple breaths. "Safe!" he wailed.

"Why isn't the baby safe?" Brennan asked, confused.

"I will hurt him," Jaime answered in a small voice.

Brennan separated them a bit. "Why do you think that?" She didn't believe this sweet child would ever hurt anyone or anything on purpose.

"Well," he started, wiping his eyes. "Uncle Andy hurt me. I rela…relay…"

"Related," Brennan supplied.

Jaime nodded and hiccupped. "Yeah. Related to him. So doesn't that mean I hurt the baby?"

Brennan fought back tears as she took in the distraught appearance of the boy in front of her. "No, honey. You could _never_ be like your Uncle Andy." She could see he wasn't that convinced. "Do you remember when Daddy told you about his daddy hitting him?"

Jaime nodded. "Yes," he answered.

"OK. Does Daddy hurt you or your brothers?"

"No," Jaime choked.

"You see?" she asked, and he smiled when she smiled. "You won't hurt the baby. He'll love you just like you'll love him."

Jaime nodded, then placed his palm flat against Brennan's stomach. Brennan smiled as she watched him. "Can I talk to Daddy?" he asked after a few moments, raising his head to look at her.

Brennan smiled and stood up. "Of course," she said softly. She called Booth over and they switched places. She didn't tell him why Jaime had been crying, not wanting to upset the other boys. She just assured him that it was alright now, and that Jaime just wanted to see his father.

Booth walked into his son's room and sat on the bed, pulling Jaime into his lap. Jaime cried and wrapped his little arms around Booth's torso, burying his face in Booth's chest. "Hey, shhh," Booth soothed. "It's OK, Little Dude. Whatever it is, it's alright," he said as he held the boy. "Daddy loves you. You're my Pickle, you know that?" he asked, momentarily tightening his hold on the boy. He felt Jaime nod, and Booth kissed his head. "I love you." He stroked Jaime's black curls until the little boy fell asleep. Booth tucked him in and placed a kiss to his forehead. "Goodnight, Pickle," he whispered before turning out the light and closing the door softly behind him.


	49. The Quiet One

**49-The Quiet One**

The next three months, as Booth would say, flew by. The squints had been wonderful, helping Booth and Brennan with anything they needed. Booth had made sure to be extra caring to Jaime to show him how much he was loved, and the little boy had since settled down and was just as excited as everyone else about the arrival of his new brother.

Brennan was at the lab examining a 4,000-year-old skeleton when she felt a pain in her stomach. She'd been having minor contractions all morning, but they were so far apart that she didn't worry, nor did she tell Booth. If she had, she would have been sitting in the hospital for the last three hours doing nothing, a very unproductive use of her time and considerable skills.

The contraction took longer than usual to pass, and the next one came just ten minutes later. She knew she should call Booth, but her cellphone had no service in bone storage, and she knew she wouldn't make it up the narrow staircase with the intense pain hitting her. She knew Booth would find her eventually; it was just about noon now, and he would be hungry for lunch. She just hoped she wouldn't have the baby without getting to the hospital first.

* * *

"Ange?" Booth called, not seeing anyone around the lab.

"Up here, Studly!" she called, waving her hand from her seat in the lounge above the platform.

"Hey, do you know where Bones is?"

"Limbo," she called back.

Booth rolled his eyes. She was always down there lately…not that he preferred her to be out in the field while carrying their child. "Thanks." He jogged down the stairs and started talking as soon as he opened the door. "Bones, it's noon. I thought we could get some lunch at the diner, especially because our little one has been craving that weird oatmeal concoction you've been eating for the past four months." When he got no response, his brow furrowed, and his heart rate increased in worry. "Bones?" he asked.

"Here," she managed to get out. She was sitting against the wall, hands on her stomach, face scrunched in pain.

"Oh my God, Bones, are you having contractions?" he asked as he rushed over to her and crouched down.

"What do you _think_, Booth?" she spat in frustration.

"W—why didn't you call?"

"Because my phone doesn't have service down here and…ow ow ow ow!" she yelled as another contraction hit her.

"OK, OK," he soothed, not wanting to upset her any further. "Come on, up we go," he said as he pulled her up. "Tell me if we need to stop."

"No!" she yelled, her breathing labored. "I don't want to have to stop. We have eight minutes," she panted.

"Let's move."

They made it to the hospital when Brennan's contractions were six minutes apart. Soon, she was set up on a bed with the squints and the boys in the waiting room. "Boooooth!" she cried as another contraction hit her. They were coming in the tiniest of intervals now, and Booth was constantly dabbing at her face and neck with a cold cloth.

"Hello, Temperance," Dr. Perry greeted with a smile. Brennan just groaned in response. "OK, I'm just going to check how dilated you are." She raised the sheet and kept it up, calling for assistance. "On the next contraction I need you to push, OK?"

Brennan whimpered. "Come on, Bones, you can do this."

"I'd like to see _you_ do this!" she retorted.

"Umm…" Booth answered, not really sure what to say.

The contraction hit and Brennan pushed, but nothing happened. She flopped back, panting. "I didn't mean that, Booth." He looked confused. "What I said about wanting to see you do this," she clarified. "I don't ever want to see you in pain. I love you."

Booth resisted the urge to smile. "That's alright, Bones. I love you too." She screamed she pushed again, and Booth briefly looked down. "Bones, I can see his head!" He gripped her hand and looked at her scrunched, beet red face. "He's almost here, Bones."

"One more push should do it, Temperance!" Dr. Perry announced. Brennan screamed and put all the effort she possibly could into one final push, only relaxing when the pressure had receded. She knew there was something wrong, though. What was it? Wasn't she supposed to hear…a _cry_?

Dr. Perry called for suction as she tried to open the baby's airways. "Booth? Booth, what's wrong?" Brennan cried, tears spilling down her face. Booth's own tears leaked out. Although there was the sound of screaming and machines, the room was deathly quiet.

Booth couldn't breathe. _No, no, no, no_, he thought. _This can't…no._

"Booth," Brennan sobbed.

Booth fought to remain calm for her. "He's a fighter, Bones," he managed to whisper. Yet the seconds ticked by. Just as Brennan had started to collapse into the pillow, they heard it: the sound of their son's voice.

The doctors cleaned him off and handed him to Brennan. The boy had only cried for a moment before becoming quiet again, yet he was breathing fully and evenly. "He had a little bit of blockage in his lungs, but there shouldn't be any permanent damage. He's a quiet one," Dr. Perry said happily.

"Thank you," Booth choked out before looking down at his son once again.

Brennan was stroking her son's cheek and looking at him with pure adoration and love. "Hello, sweetheart." The baby looked at her and reached his hand up, touching Brennan's chest. "You are so beautiful," she whispered. She tore her eyes away long enough to look at Booth.

"He's absolutely amazing," Booth remarked. He kissed Brennan on the temple. "I am so proud of you," he whispered. "Thank you."

Brennan leaned against him. "What should we name him?" she asked softly.

Booth pursed his lips. "Well," he started, "it's not one of the names we were thinking of, but…." He trailed off, a little hesitant to suggest it.

"What is it, Booth?" Brennan asked softly, a smile still on her face.

"What about Jude?"

"Jude," she repeated.

Booth smiled a little. "You know, in the Bible, Jude was sometimes considered to be the brother of James."

Brennan grinned. "James' brother. I think it's…perfect."

Booth stroked his son's head. "Middle name?"

Brennan was thinking when a glint caught her eye. "Christopher," she said.

Booth looked down at his medal and realized where she got the name. "Jude Christopher Booth," he said. Brennan nodded. Booth leaned down and spoke to the baby. "Hello, Jude," he said, before kissing his son on the head.


	50. This One's For You

**50-This One's For You**

It only took a few days for Jaime to adjust to his role of doting and enraptured older brother. All the same, it only took _James_ a few days to become petulant and jealous. Brennan tried to get him to help with the baby by asking him to bring Jude's pacifier or shake his rattle for him, always telling him that he was doing her a "really big favor." But James, having inherited Brennan's intelligence and Booth's attitude, was quick to realize that his mother's requests were meant mainly to discourage his selfishness. And, being a four-year-old boy, he was not about to let his mother win that easily. So, when Brennan asked him to hand her something or keep his voice down during Jude's naps, he did so with a frown, never saying a word.

"Booth," Brennan sighed as they laid in bed one night.

Booth ran his fingers up and down her bare arm. "Hmm?" he asked, almost drifting off to sleep. He'd almost—_almost_—forgotten how tiring a newborn baby was.

"Have you noticed James' behavior lately?"

Booth opened one eye and smirked. "Bones, I'm an FBI agent." She glared. "Of course I have," he consented.

Brennan sighed. "I just don't know what to do about it. I tried making it seem like he was doing me favors, but he just pouts and doesn't talk." He could hear how upset she was. "Meanwhile, Jaime seems to have adapted quite easily. He adores Jude."

Booth put his finger under her chin and turned her head so they were face to face. "James does too. I was the same way with Jared until he could walk and talk. Little siblings sometimes seem like a nuisance until then." Booth stopped and thought for a second. "Maybe you need to reward James when he helps you."

"I say thank you," Brennan pointed out.

Booth brought his head to touch hers. "For a child that age, in this situation, thank you is just a formality. If he brings you Jude's pacifier, you can give him some extra ice cream or juice or something."

Brennan smiled and put her head against his chest. "You're right, Booth." She sighed again. "I still have so much to learn."

Booth luckily hadn't forgotten that Brennan was still a little hormonal. OK, well, more than a little. "Hey, hey, hey, Bones, I do too." He saw her about to protest and stopped her. "No kid is the same, and parenting is a learning experience that lasts the rest of your life. _No one_ is the perfect parent, and no one knows everything about raising kids, even their own. But you're an _amazing_ mother, and this is just a tiny obstacle. You and me will move past this together. Just like always."

Brennan smiled and kissed him before they laid down to sleep. "You and I, Booth," she suddenly corrected.

Booth chuckled. "Goodnight, Bones."

"Goodnight, Booth."

* * *

Booth and Brennan were woken by the sound of a baby's cry. Brennan groaned and Booth stroked her hair from her face. "I'll get him," Booth told her softly. "I think he's hungry." Brennan smiled and fell back to sleep.

Booth stepped into his son's room and lifted the crying baby. "Hey, Jude," he said in a soothing voice. Booth bounced him up and down in his arms and carried him to the kitchen. "Shhh. Almost ready, Jujube," Booth soothed as he finished warming up Jude's bottle. The boy accepted the bottle eagerly and fisted Booth's soft t-shirt in his tiny hand as he ate. "Mmm, you were hungry," Booth commented as he rocked his son. "You're definitely a Booth," he said as he grinned. He saw Jude's eyelids droop as he released the bottle. Booth burped him and carried him back to his room, sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. "I love you, Jujube," he said softly, kissing his son on the head.

Jude finally fell asleep, one impossibly tiny hand in his mouth, already accruing copious amounts of drool. Booth continued to rock him, running the back of a finger over Jude's forehead. "Hey Jude," he sang, "don't make it bad. Take a sad song, and make it better." He felt Brennan walk in and looked up at her. "Hi, beautiful," he greeted.

Brennan smiled again. "Is he asleep?"

"Yeah," Booth said as he nodded. "He was starving." Booth put him in the crib and Brennan placed a kiss to Jude's forehead before they left the room and went back to bed.

"James?" Brennan asked. Their older son was sitting in the middle of their bed.

"Mommy," he said.

"What's wrong, honey? Do you feel OK?"

"Daddy doesn't love me," the boy cried.

"Pal, what are you talking about? I love you more than anything in this world," Booth tried to assure him.

James crossed his arms and turned his back. "No you don't. I heard you singing to Jude. You don't sing to me."

Booth sat on the bed behind his son. "Sometimes we have to do that because Jude is a baby, and he needs help falling asleep."

"What if I need help falling asleep?" James pouted. "I always help you and the baby."

"James. You're a big boy. You can do things on your own and we can talk. You can tell us what's wrong and we can help. Your brother…he just cries. Mommy and I have to guess what's wrong. You make it easy for us." Brennan saw James smile and then try to cover it. "And you know what else?"

There was a pause as James sniffed. "What?"

"You are Mommy and Daddy's biggest help," Brennan started, glancing at Booth. "And Daddy wants to take you to Toys R Us tomorrow. Would you like a new fire engine?"

James nodded reluctantly. "The one with the ladder and the basket?" he asked.

Brennan nodded and rubbed his hair. She usually didn't like to placate her kids with toys, but she realized how sad James had been and how much he deserved a present for it. After all, he was only four.

"Guess what else, buddy," Booth said.

"What?"

"You have a song too."

James whirled around before he could stop himself. "I do?"

Booth nodded. "Yeah. And we all used to sing it to you when you were a baby. Even Aunt Angela and Uncle Jack and Aunt Cam."

James wiped his nose on his sleeve before Brennan grabbed a tissue and made him blow his nose. "Can you sing it to me?" he asked Brennan.

She nodded and pulled him back so he was sitting between her and Booth. "Goodnight you moonlight ladies. Rock-a-bye, Sweet Baby James. Deep greens and blues are the colors I choose. Won't you let me go down in my dreams?"

"And rock-a-bye, Sweet Baby James," Booth finished.

"Aunt Angela calls me that!" James exclaimed excitedly.

"That's because that's your song, honey," Brennan told him, stroking his hair.

James hugged Brennan. "I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too, baby."

He moved to Booth and looked into his eyes. "I love you, Daddy."

Booth grabbed him in a hug. "I love you too, pal."

"Are you ready to go back to sleep?" Brennan asked.

James nodded. "Can you sing me more?"

Booth and Brennan glanced at each other and sang until James was sound asleep between them.

* * *

The next morning, as Brennan assured them she'd be fine by herself with a baby and three-year-old, Booth and James made their way to the local Toys R Us. "You want that fire truck, buddy?" Booth asked his son as they faced rows and rows of shiny new toys. James nodded and grabbed his father's hand.

They found the fire truck in aisle five, across from the bikes. James was staring at it, shiny and red in its cardboard box. It was exactly the one he wanted. Noticing something out of the corner of his eye, he ran over to the stuffed animals.

Booth turned around and panicked when James wasn't where he left him. His eyes quickly landed on his son staring at a row of teddy bears, and he jogged over. "J, you can't just run away from Daddy, OK?"

James nodded, then picked up a chubby blue teddy bear. "Daddy, do you think Jude will like this?" he asked, turning to look at Booth, the bear dangling from his hand.

Booth smiled. James never called his brother Jude; it was always "the baby." "Yeah, I do."

"OK, I want this."

Booth nodded once. "OK. Let's get your fire truck and go."

"No."

"No?" Booth asked.

"Jude is little, so he likes to play. I'm a big boy. I don't need as many toys as him."

Booth knelt down. "I'm very proud of you, James. You _are_ a big boy, and you're a very good big brother." James gave a small smile. Booth took his son's free hand and led him to the checkout aisle, secretly grabbing the fire truck on the way, and a whale that sprayed water for Jaime.

When they got home, James rushed to Brennan, who was sitting on the floor shaking a rattle above Jude's head. "Mommy, look what I got for Jude!"

Brennan, too, was shocked by James' use of his brother's name. "For Jude?"

Booth smiled. "James got something for Jude instead of for himself."

Brennan's face lit up with pride. "That's very mature of you, baby."

James was bouncing with excitement. "Look! It's a bear!" he shouted as he thrust it in Brennan's face.

"I see that."

James laid it next to Jude. "Look, Jude, it's a baby bear!" Jude kicked his legs and James gave it to him. Jude giggled in delight at the softness of the toy on his skin.

Jaime came running from behind the couch, where he had been making his dinosaur climb up a blanket. "Baby bear!" he shouted. Jude's eyes widened and he put the bear's paw in his mouth while Booth sat down next to Brennan and gave her a kiss.

Booth laughed. "Hey there, Baby Bear," he said as he tickled Jude's stomach. Jude squirmed in delight and gnawed the bear vigorously. "Jaime, can you bring that bag by the door to Mommy?" The boy nodded and dragged it over quickly.

"Let's see what's in here," Brennan said as she looked inside. "Oh, James, look," she said as she pulled out the fire truck.

"Fire truck!" he shouted, starting to rip open the box.

"I think there's something in here for you too, Little Dude," Brennan said as she pulled out the whale.

"WHALE!" he shouted, laughing when he pushed on the tail and air hit his face.

"I think you should both give Daddy a big thank you hug," Brennan told them. They ran and hugged Booth, who kissed them both and opened their new toys for them. He caught Brennan staring at him as she let Jude grab her finger and shake it. "What?" he asked with a chuckle.

She shook her head. "You're so wonderful, Booth. I love you."

"I love you too," he replied, the sounds of their children playing echoing around them as they kissed.


	51. I Hope

**Sorry for the short chapter. The next one is a lot longer. Either way, enjoy!**

* * *

**51-I Hope**

Booth and Brennan laid in bed after wrangling their children and putting them into their pajamas. They could hear Jude's soft breathing over the baby monitor, and the sounds comforted them and made them smile. "Bones?"

Brennan detected uncertainty in his voice. "Yes?"

"You're not….You're disappointed because we had a boy, right?"

Brennan grinned and flipped over, sprawling on Booth's chest. "No," she chuckled. "You're not thinking of taking him back, are you?"

Booth laughed heartily. "I love you, Bones."

"I love you too, Booth," she returned easily. "In fact, I'm glad we had a boy."

Booth tilted his chin to look down at her. "Yeah?"

He felt her nod against his chest. "I just…after not really having a mom past 15…I don't know how good a mother I would be to a girl."

Booth tightened his arms around her and nuzzled her hair. "Oh, Bones. You're a wonderful mother, and you'd be so great with a little girl."

"I don't know, Booth."

"What do you mean?" he asked after a pause.

Brennan took a deep breath. "I just….I'm not girly, or sentimental. I just…" she trailed off.

"So what? Girls don't have to be girly or sentimental or any of that. You're so beautiful and amazing, Bones, and I love you so much. I love you because you're not so girly and all that."

Brennan looked up at him. "Really?"

Booth smiled and kissed her lovingly. "Of course." They held each other tight as they fell asleep.

* * *

Later that night, Brennan awoke to the sound of Jude fussing over the baby monitor. She carefully got up off of Booth and padded to her son's room. "Oh, what's wrong, honey?" She set him on the changing table and continued to speak softly to him. "Shhh, it's OK, honey. Almost done." Once she was finished, she brought Jude to the rocking chair and cradled him close to her. His eyes were wide open and focused on her, and she smiled and kissed his forehead. "I love you, sweet baby," she said softly. "You are so perfect. I hope you have your daddy's bravery, and his loyalty, and his dedication. And I hope you have Parker's love of learning, and his protectiveness. And I hope you have James' perspective on life. I hope you find joy in everything just like he does."

"I hope he has your heart, Bones. And your intelligence," Booth chuckled. "But mostly your heart." By then Jude was back asleep, snoring softly.

"He snores like you," Brennan whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Hey! I don't snore!"

Brennan laughed and reveled in the feeling of Booth's arm around her shoulders. "It's okay. I still love you."

Booth smiled. "I love you too." He kissed her sweetly and led her back to bed, where they fell asleep in a tangled heap.


	52. A Day in the Life of Sherlock Holmes

**52-A Day in the Life of Sherlock Holmes**

It was Jude's first visit to the lab. Even though Brennan was still on maternity leave, she had decided she needed to get out of the house, especially since the other boys were in school, meaning there wasn't anyone around she could talk to. "Mommy, why is everyone bringing us to school today?" Jaime asked from his middle seat in the back of the car.

"Because I'm taking Jude to the lab today for a visit."

"He's gonna have fun! The lab is the best place ever!" James shouted enthusiastically.

Jude made a grunting noise and Jaime giggled. "He agrees with you!" he said, turning to James.

Booth chuckled as he pulled up to Jaime's preschool, a small public charter school called Capital City. The school was diverse, and Jaime could learn Spanish, play sports, and explore the arts. "Bye, Pickle. Have a good day," Booth told him as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Bye, sweetheart. We love you," Brennan said.

"I love you too!" Jaime responded as he leaned forward and kissed them both. "Bye James! Have a good day!"

"You too!" James said happily.

Jaime leaned over and kissed the baby. "Bye, Baby Bear!" he said when he pulled back. He then crawled over James and out the door, joining his teachers and classmates inside.

Booth backed out of the parking lot once Jaime had made his way inside and headed towards James' elementary school. Brennan had wanted James to attend a private K-8 school she'd had her eye on, but Booth convinced her that attending public school would be good for the boys. After all, they had both attended public school, and there were some good ones in the area. Brennan relented, with the agreement that they would reevaluate everything after James had graduated from fifth grade.

They had settled on a school called Brent Elementary, which satisfied both Booth and Brennan. Booth wanted the boys to be exposed all types of kids, and public school was more the place for that. _Besides_, he had thought, _what are they really learning in elementary school that private school is gonna teach them any better?_ Booth knew it would be good for the boys to engage in the type of social problem-solving that only playground time with a diverse mix of children could bring. He had presented this argument in a surprisingly convincing way to Brennan, who found she couldn't argue with his reasoning.

The school offered basketball, which Booth was happy about because it was a sport, and Brennan was happy about because it would encourage James to improve his reflexes and would give him another thing to bond over with Booth. They also taught Japanese and had a museum magnet program, which Brennan was excited about. It was James' second year there, and the whole family had been pleased with the school's environment and the way the teachers had taken in stride the fact that James was about to be five but was already in the first grade.

Booth pulled up to the school and unlocked the doors so James could get out. "Bye, Mommy! Bye, Daddy! Love you!" he exclaimed as he kissed each of them.

"Love you too, pal," Booth responded.

"Have a good day, baby," Brennan told him.

James scooted across the back seats and kissed his baby brother on the head. "Bye, Jude. Have fun at the lab!" Jude shook his arms up and down in response to his brother's voice. Booth pulled away once James had disappeared inside the building. A short time later they arrived at the lab, and Booth parked and turned off the ignition so he could hug his son goodbye before handing him over to Brennan. "I'll be back after my meeting," he told her after he had mustered up the strength to part with his youngest son for another day.

"We'll be fine," Brennan smiled, kissing Booth lightly.

"Call if you need anything. Even if you're tired of holding him, or you want someone else to feed him, or if you're-."

"Booth. It's OK. I'll call you if any of that happens, though I'm sure everyone at the lab will be more than happy to help."

"Yeah, well, I don't want the squints getting their hooks into my kid too early."

Brennan furrowed her brow. "No one there has hooks," she replied, confused.

Booth chuckled and kissed her. "Figure of speech, Bones."

She nodded and made sure Jude was securely in his carrier. "OK, I'll see you for lunch," she told him.

"You know it," he said, smiling before they kissed one more time.

* * *

"OK, here we go," Brennan sing-songed as she carried Jude through the automatic glass doors. "Oh, look at all these lights," she said to him as his eyes focused immediately on the bright orbs on the ceiling.

"Hey, guys!" Angela squealed, rushing over to them with a smile. "Hey, little man," she said to Jude, whose eyes were still on the lights above them. "You love those lights, don't you?"

"Would you like to hold him?" Brennan asked, and Angela's face lit up. Brennan set the carrier down on the floor and freed Jude from the complicated straps that held him in. Angela lifted him out and held him to her chest.

"Hey, who's this little guy?" Hodgins chuckled, joining Brennan and Angela and letting Jude wrap a hand around his finger. "You hangin' out with Aunt Angela?"

"Oh, Hodgie, let's make one of these," Angela said.

Hodgins kissed the baby and Angela. "Fine by me."

"Come on, sweetie, let's go up to the platform," Angela suggested, and were soon joined by Cam and Wendell. Cam jumped at the chance to hold the baby, but when Brennan asked Wendell, he balked.

"Uhhh I don't think I'd be very good at it," he answered.

"What's to be good at?" Angela asked. "You just make sure he doesn't fall."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"As careful as you are in your examination of bones, Mr. Bray, I doubt you will drop my child. Besides, I trust you."

Wendell almost choked when Cam handed the baby to him. "No, Dr. Saroyan, I don't—oh," he finished as he felt the weight of the baby in his arms. "Hey, buddy. I'm your Uncle Wendell. You've got your dad's eyes, you know that?" Jude grunted in response to Wendell's voice, and Wendell laughed. "You gonna be big and strong like your daddy? Mmm, I bet. And smart like your mommy. You'll have a good heart, little man. You're a lucky boy." The sound of sniffling caused Wendell to look up. He had been completely lost in talking to the baby, but when he realized the sniffling was coming from Brennan, he had a minor panic attack. "Oh my God, Dr. Brennan, I'm so sorry. Did I say something wrong? Am I not holding him right?" He held out his arms towards her. "Here, here, take him. I'm so sorry."

Brennan laughed. "You're doing fine, Wendell. It's just my hormones. You said some nice things."

Wendell smiled sheepishly as Angela gave Brennan a hug. "What's going on? Bones, why are you crying?" Booth had emerged on the platform and was instantly in protective mode.

"I'm fine, Booth," Brennan assured him as she wiped her nose with a tissue.

Booth knelt down before her. "What is it, Bones? Do you wanna go to your office? Do you wanna go home?"

"Studly, _relax_," Angela interrupted. "Brennan is just feeling hormonal. Wendell was doing a great job with the baby." Booth and Angela locked eyes for a second, Angela knowing that Booth was daring her to lie to him, and when he was satisfied he turned to Wendell and walked over.

"So the little one really likes you, huh?"

"Oh, I don't know," Wendell said sincerely.

"You got him to sleep," Booth remarked. "That's the biggest compliment he can give you." Wendell looked down into Jude's sleeping face and smiled. "You ready for lunch, Bones?" Booth asked, helping Brennan stand. She nodded and Booth took Jude from Wendell's arms and secured him in the carrier. "Thanks, everyone," he said.

"Thank _you_, Studly. He's adorable," Angela told him. Booth smiled and they said their goodbyes before making their way to Booth's SUV.

* * *

After their usual lunch at the diner, they arrived home just as Jude began to stir. Booth brought the carrier into the house and began to warm up a bottle from the fridge. "I'll tell you what, Bones. Why don't I feed him and change his diaper, and then I'll take him with me when I pick up the boys from school? Then you can take a nap before they all start demanding your attention."

"You sure you want to do all that driving?"

"I love driving!"

"I know. You do quite a lot of it."

Booth smiled and retrieved the bottle from the warm water it was floating in. "So what do you say?" he asked as he began to feed Jude.

Brennan smiled. "OK. Thank you, Booth."

"No need to thank me, baby," he replied as he kissed her and plopped down on the couch while she made their way to their bedroom to rest.

* * *

The boys were pleasantly surprised to see their dad's car outside as he stopped at their respective schools. They oscillated between chattering to Booth about their days and engaging in one-sided conversation with Jude. When they arrived home Brennan was awake and catching up on some anthropology journal articles. "Mommy!" the boys shouted, jumping up next to her on the couch. Jaime grabbed a toy dinosaur, having learned to wait it out while James babbled on and on about his day. Jaime was quieter, but he knew he'd get his turn. Once James had finished recounting his day's events and had followed Booth into the kitchen for a glass of milk, Brennan pulled Jaime onto her lap.

"And how was your day, sweetheart?"

"It was good. Today a third grader came in with a violin and told us when _we_ got to third grade we could play violin too! And then she played a song."

"That sounds exciting. Did you like it?"

"Uh-huh!" he said, nodding his head up and down. "She let me pluck the strings!"

"That was very nice of her."

"Mommy, I wanna play violin please!"

Brennan smiled. "OK. How about we talk about it with Daddy tonight?" Jaime nodded and hopped off the couch, running to the kitchen for his glass of milk.

* * *

Booth and Brennan had bickered about the violin. "I can purchase him one," Brennan told him.

"And I can't. We agreed to split everything down the middle."

"I thought you agreed we'd consider our money mutual!"

"I know, Bones, but…I just don't think we should go around _buying_ stuff we might not even use."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that why don't we rent one or something? Then he can see if he likes it."

Brennan nodded. "I can look for places that teach lessons that allow you to rent."

Booth kissed her. "You do that, and I'll tell Jaime." She nodded and they went their separate ways.

* * *

"Jaime?" Booth asked, stepping into his son's room.

"Daddy!"

Booth smiled and sat on the bed. "Mommy and I think it would be great if you played violin."

Jaime's eyes got wide. "Really?" he asked.

"Really."

"Daddy, Daddy, I'm gonna practice so hard. I…I—I—I….Then I can be just like Sherlock Holmes!" the boy said excitedly.

Booth had to stifle a laugh. "Maybe not _just_ like him," he mumbled. Though the thicket of curly black hair did remind Booth of a Sherlock Holmes he'd always pictured, he wasn't keen on Jaime comparing himself to a cocaine addict. "Get your pajamas on, OK, buddy?" Booth asked before giving his son a hug. Jaime nodded and watched his father leave.

Booth came into the kitchen and burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Brennan asked.

"Jaime," Booth managed between gasps.

"Why? What did he do?"

"He got so excited when I told him he could play violin, he started shouting about how he'd be just like Sherlock Holmes!"

Brennan frowned. "Sherlock Holmes was fictional. And a cocaine addict. You know, there are many theories that suggest Holmes was so drugged that everything in the stories was a product of his imagination."

"There's also a theory that says Holmes was real and Conan Doyle was just his scribe," Booth countered. There was a pause as they both looked at each other. "How did we end up talking about this?" Brennan erupted into a fit of laughter, and it only took a split second for Booth to join her.

Suddenly a clear voice cut through the air. "Mommy? Daddy?"

"Hi, sweetheart," Brennan replied, crouching down to Jaime's level.

"You forgot to say goodnight."

"Oh, we're sorry, honey. Come on, we'll both tuck you in." Once they were in Jaime's room, they pulled the covers over him and turned out the light. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you," Brennan whispered.

"Goodnight, Little Dude," Booth whispered, giving Jaime a kiss on the forehead.

They left the room, leaving the door open just a crack in case Jaime needed something, like they did with all the boys. They peaked into James' room, finding him fast asleep, an orange Flyers teddy bear dangling precariously off the edge of the bed. Its normally passive face seemed to be making a plea for help, but Booth and Brennan just smiled and left the room.

They made their way carefully into Jude's room. He was snoring softly as he lay on his back, a bumblebee blanket over his legs. He shook his fist briefly before letting it rest by his ear, and Booth stifled a chuckle. He and Brennan stood over the crib, watching their youngest son breathe deeply and evenly. Brennan suddenly recalled when Jude was born, and how at first he didn't cry. The sharp pain through her heart was like nothing she had ever experienced. But now he was healthy, and Brennan let out a quiet sigh of relief. Booth pulled her close and kissed her temple. "I'd say we have it pretty good, Bones," he whispered.

"I would have to agree," she whispered back.


	53. Epilogue

**Last chapter, everyone! Thanks for sticking with this story, and I hope you enjoyed it! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it as a whole!**

* * *

**53-Epilogue**

ONE YEAR LATER

"Uncle Jack, I found one!" James called out. He was on hands and knees in the backyard of the family's new house, his eyes darting around as he followed a particularly lengthy worm.

"I'm coming!" Hodgins called back, and ran over to where the boy was. "Oh, she's a beauty," Hodgins remarked as he pulled the worm from the ground.

"Are we gonna keep her?" James asked excitedly.

Hodgins lowered the worm to the ground. "I think we should let her grow in her natural habitat for now," he said.

"Oh. OK," James replied disappointedly.

"But you can name her. That way, when you see her out here again, you'll be able to talk to her."

James gasped. "I gotta think of a good name!" His lips pouted as he thought. "Wanda!" he finally said proudly.

Hodgins smiled. "Wanda the Worm. I think it's great." James smiled and ran off to tell his mother.

* * *

Brennan was sitting at a table in the backyard with Angela and Hodgins' two-month-old daughter, Segan, on her lap. Jude sat next to Brennan in a high chair, singing the ABCs to the baby, hoping she would catch on. "Next time woah you sin wih meeee?" Jude sang. Segan gurgled and stared at Jude.

Brennan smiled. "Good job, sweetheart!"

"Mimi! See-an not sin!" Jude answered, distressed.

Brennan looked down at the baby. "It's OK, baby. She doesn't know how yet. She wants too, though. She's enjoying it very much."

Jude blinked. "Cake?" he asked.

Brennan laughed and stood up, handing the baby to Angela and calling for everyone to sing Happy Birthday. Jaime ran out of the house with his quarter-sized violin and nodded to his parents that he was ready. The first note rang out as everyone began to sing. "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Jude. Happy Birthday to you." Everyone clapped and Jude stuck his hand in the cake, bringing a fistful to his mouth and smearing most of it on his face. Booth grabbed a few napkins and wiped his son's face before cutting everyone a piece of cake.

Booth helped Jude open his presents, Jude being more interested in the wrapping than what was inside. Cam had gotten him a play workbench that taught numbers and letters and sang songs. "Thanks, Aunt Cam!" Booth said enthusiastically. "Now you can help Daddy fix the drafty window in the bathroom!" Jude laughed and crinkled the wrapping paper in his hands.

Jared and Padme had gotten Jude a few baby outfits with animals on them. Booth smiled at one bodysuit that had a big yellow, red, and green lion on it. "You'll be the most stylish boy at daycare," Booth laughed. "Rawr!" Jude yelped excitedly and laughed, grabbing for the outfit and attempting to put it in his mouth.

"Why don't we wait to wash it first, baby?" Brennan suggested, gently prying Jude's fingers from the garment.

Pops had gotten Jude some Phillies outfits, and Max had gotten him a baby hockey set, complete with a stick, a ball, and a net. Parker had even gotten Jude a soft baseball bat and baseball set that he could play with. Booth thanked them all enthusiastically, his smile as wide as could be. Wendell, remembering how much Brennan encouraged reading as early as possible, got Jude some personalized storybooks; one was aptly titled "Jude's Very Happy 1st Birthday!" Brennan was extremely grateful, flipping through the pages of each book.

Hodgins and Angela's gift was last. It was a simple envelope, and Booth opened it carefully. Inside was a color drawing of five dinosaurs standing in tall grass, looking up to the top of a tree, where a baby dinosaur sat in an egg, smiling. Each dinosaur was labeled: Daddy, Mommy, Parker, James, and Jaime. The baby dinosaur, of course, was labeled "Jude." Brennan came to look over Booth's shoulder. "I thought I could paint that in his room. You know, if you wanted," Angela explained.

Brennan's eyes held unshed tears. "Oh, Ange," she whispered, moving to hug her friend. "It's beautiful. We would love if you painted it." Angela hugged her back tightly.

* * *

The party was winding down, and everyone from the Jeffersonian offered to help clean up as the boys took a much-needed nap. While everyone was either in the kitchen or outside in the backyard, Booth and Brennan stood in the living room together. Booth had come in to get empty snack bowls, and Brennan to pick up some wrapping paper, but when he set the bowls on the coffee table she followed his lead. He stepped to her, cradling her face in his hands.

He didn't—couldn't—say a word. He just stared at her, blinking once, maybe twice. Brennan almost lost her breath. She felt Booth's entire life in her hands, and she hoped she was giving back the same feeling. "Bones," he whispered, and she hugged him. They could hear the quiet chatter of their friends as the clean-up continued, and they finally broke apart. "I guess we should help them finish up," Booth said, grabbing the empty bowls he had set on the coffee table.

"Yeah," Brennan agreed.

Booth shot her a sly grin. "But after everyone leaves, you're mine," he promised.

Brennan leaned over to kiss him. "Always."


End file.
